Total Drama Nui Kaua (SYOC)
by 16Doobop13
Summary: 24 new contestants are brought (back) to Camp Nui Kaua for another season of Total Drama! This time, various Tikis with special game-changing abilities have been hid all over the island, making this one of the most strategic seasons of Total Drama yet! SYOC CLOSED! First Chapter is Full Preview (This season directly follows my Total Drama Zero Sum fic) 6/24 contestants remaining.
1. Nui Kaua Preview(Coming TBD)

_**AN: Wow...You guys jumped on this FAST! I'm being serious, I had this whole prior season (Total Drama Zero Sum) I was going to work on while I waited patiently, so it may be a while before the first episode of this officially airs. You guys should all read, follow, and favorite Zero Sum in the meantime. It's the prequel season to this one after all(and reviews wouldn't hurt either *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*). And considering it takes place on the same island as this season...who knows? You may gain some important knowledge that you can use in your characters strategies!(Such as important landmarks for instance) Anyways, enjoy the Full Preview!**_

* * *

Chris's voice echoed as a helicopter hovered over a much more furnished Camp Nui Kaua. "Thanks to the money we made from airing Total Drama Zero Sum, we've managed to finally flesh out Camp Nui Kaua for another season of Total Drama! We've gathered another 24 all new contestants! What they don't realize is that they're in for one of our most hectic season yet, with a twist that will shake the game to its very core.

Get ready for Total Drama Nui Kaua!"

* * *

24 New Contestants!(introduced in boy-girl-boy-girl fashion)

"You've Been Sorted Onto Teams Based On Your Private Interview with the interns...Who still refuse to show them to me. Apparently Chef and I aren't allowed to peek."

* * *

 **Team Ka Lani! (Golden Dove Symbol)**

Aleister-The Fake Bad Guy(Aleister-Kun)

Nixia-The Nature Lover(blackfang76)

Clay-The Lone Wolf(PRAKNASTY)

Alice-The Adorable Vocalist(Silver Writer 0927)

Evan-The Human Animal Survivalist(GirlPower54)

Cassandra-The Punk Rocker(gordhanx)

Hayes-The Overshadowed Younger Sibling(CodyOnTheBounce T.V)

Stephanie-The Cheerleader(decoy73)

* * *

 **Team Ka Malu O! (Scarlet Bat Symbol)**

Pierre-The Fabulous Spectacle(blackfang76)

Julia-The Silly Mimic(Dha3000)

Sherwood-The Standalone Guy(Aristicus)

Dominique-The Straight Talker(Fitneptune)

Briand-The Resilient Risk Taker(Cri1lenmina)

Maddie-The Small Pyromaniac(Aleister-Kun)

Deamian-The Smooth Criminal(Taliaem)

Katrina-The Arrogant Braniac(Aristicus)

* * *

 **Team Honua! (Green Maple Tree Symbol)**

Kaleaf-The 'Angry' Black Japanese(Little King Phooka)

Lina-The Whisperer(Taliaem)

Steven-The Teen Heartthrob(Silver Writer 0927)

Lucy-The Biker Chick(Bloodylilcorpse)

Kevin-The Autistic Boy(prestoncampbell)

Astral-The Occult Freak(SilverMoon1912)

Zubin-The Nice Guy Strategist(decoy73)

Galiris-The Sailor Girl(VGamerTGibleV)

* * *

The New Po'ino Bonfire Ceremony!

"1st Place Team, enjoy your free look into the workings of today's losers! I'm sure they'll put on quite a show for you! Losers, these traditional Nui Kaua leis represent your life on this island! If your name is not called and you do not receive a lei, then you must take the Hang Glider of Shame and leave Nui Kaua for good."

* * *

Introducing Camp Nui Kaua's New Twists!

1: The Honeymoon Cabin!

"After Each Challenge, the Two Winning Teams will select a member of the other winning team to send to the Honeymoon Cabin! Once there, the two campers will not be allowed to leave until the next challenge. To make things interesting, hidden inside the Honeymoon Cabin is an item that can make or break the game for any player, and only by solving the mystery of the cabin can you claim that prize!"

2: Return of the Team Based Immunity Tikis! The Heaven, Hell, and Earth Tikis!

"There is one immunity tiki to correspond with each team! Just like on Zero Sum, only an original member of that team can use the corresponding tiki to avoid elimination and send the player with the next most votes home instead!"

3: And...

Introducing Nui Kaua's brand new Twelve Twist Tikis!

Twist Tiki 1: The Team Shift Tiki!

Twist Tiki 2: The Dove Tiki!(Only Playable By Original Ka Lani Members)

Twist Tiki 3: The Bat Tiki!(Only Playable By Original Ka Malu O Members)

Twist Tiki 4: The Maple Tiki!(Only Playable By Original Honua Members)

Twist Tiki 5: The Curse Tiki!

Twist Tiki 6: The Love Tiki!

Twist Tiki 7: The Legacy Tiki!

Twist Tiki 8: The Golden Tiki!

Twist Tiki 9: The Chris Tiki!

Twist Tiki 10: The Girls' Night Out Tiki!

Twist Tiki 11: The Grounded Guys Tiki!

Twist Tiki 12: The Copycat Tiki!

"Each Tiki has a special effect guaranteed to shake up the flow of things! Just a little something to keep you campers on your toes! In fact, one of you has _already_ been given a hint to the whereabouts of one of them!"

* * *

Who Will Win The Million Dollar Prize?

Find Out!

On...

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!


	2. Nui Kaua Episode Structure Notice

_**AN0: I'm adding this note in before I get to the point of the chapter. This style has been designed to give you (the ones who know your OCs best) as much control over what they do as possible. HOWEVER, if I find that you aren't participating, I do have a 'default' Elimination order planned (And my goodness that was a pain to make, seriously I could feel my heart break every time I had to eliminate an OC making that thing). So DO NOT make it come to that! I already have a Total Drama story where I know everything that's going to happen. I don't need another one. Now, with that out of the way, please read over the way this will work very carefully.**_

* * *

 _ **AN1: Okay, so here's how this is going to work, each 'Episode' is going to be split up into three separate parts.**_

 _ **The first 'Part' is Free Time: The contestants are given free reign to interact with each other, look for Tikis, anything. Anyone on any team can interact with any other contestant. At the end of the first 'Part', the rules of the next Challenge will be explained, and I'll ask for contestants to PM me their strategies for dealing with the Challenge. I may PM specific readers to give their OC's opinion of another OC or another OC's actions after these parts as well.**_

 _ **The second 'Part' is Challenge: This is where the contestants' strategies come to life and the results of the challenge are declared. The two winning teams will be asked to PM me their votes for who on the other winning team should go to the Honeymoon Cabin, and the losing team will PM me their votes for who they want to eliminate(as well as their reasons for why their OC wants to eliminate that particular player), taking both the Free Time and Challenge part of the episode into consideration.**_

 _ **The third and final 'Part' is Elimination, where the private(except in special circumstances) votes are tallied, and the Elimination Ceremony takes place. The unlucky loser will be requested to give a 'Final Confessional', which will appear before the next Episode begins.**_

* * *

 _ **Example of Chapter Order:**_

 _ **Ch 1: Nui Kaua Preview**_

 _ **Ch 2: This Message(Will Be Deleted Upon Completion of Fic)**_

 _ **Ch 3: Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers (Free Time)**_

 _ **Ch 4: Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers (Challenge)**_

 _ **Ch 5: Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers (Elimination)**_

 _ **Ch 6: _'s Final Confessional**_

 _ **Ch 7: Ep 2: Creative Differences (Free Time)**_

 _ **Ch 8: Ep 2: Creative Differences (Challenge)**_

 _ **Ch 9: Ep 2: Creative Differences (Elimination)**_

 _ **Ch 10: _'s Final Confessional**_

 _ **Ch 11: Ep 3: Falling Into Place (Free Time)**_

 _ **(And you should get the idea)**_

 _ **And that's how the episodes are going to be structured.**_

* * *

 _ **THIS IS IMPORTANT SO READ THIS TOO: So Anyways, for the very very first thing I'd like you guys to do...is simply send in a Confessional explaining how happy you are to be at Nui Kaua (what you look forward to, what you don't look forward to, etc),**_

 _ **And then I want you to tell me what you plan to do during your first Free Time (do you plan to hang out with other OCs? If so, which ones? Or do you want to do other things like search for Tikis (made much easier if you can successfully solve a hint for them, provided you can actually obtain a hint for them)? Or maybe play a little dirty right out of the gate? Anything you want your OC to do in their first Free Time, PM it to me along with their Introduction Confessional.**_

 _ **Got It? PM Me the Intro Confessional, PM Me the Free Time Plan. Go.**_


	3. Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers(Free Time)

_**This is a biggun, so you might want to make sure you have plenty of time on your hands, or an easy way to pause and resume reading.**_

 _ **AN: So, not all of you sent in confessionals and free time plans, despite 3 weeks having passed since I asked. I didn't want to have to do this, but I'm going to be installing due dates from now on when I ask for things. If you don't PM me what I ask for by the due date, your OC will instead take their default actions in my default list, regardless of how much sense they make in the situation. If I notice that you don't respond to multiple prompts in a row, your OC might end up medically evacuated from the game. Now that that's out of the way…**_

* * *

 _ **AN2: This chapter was actually meant to be posted on the first, but as I continued writing it, it just got bigger...and bigger...and now it's longer than a Zero Sum chapter, The reason it's so long was because I was trying to capture every character's personality as accurately as I could, so I hope I did a good job of that! Episodes from now on will likely shift focus between characters, so if your OC has a minor amount of time in one episode, they'll probably have a larger amount of time in the next (and this works the other way as well). Anyways, I'm done rambling, I hope you enjoy…**_

* * *

Total Drama Nui Kaua

"Beautiful Lake Nui Kaua!" Chris McLean's voice announced as an aerial view of the island was shone. "Located in a never to be disclosed location in the South Pacific. We've done some remodeling since last season, and now we've managed to construct a fully fleshed out summer camp! This season's 24 new contestants will not need to hunt for food day to day to survive, nor will they need to build their own shelters or take refuge in caves, instead, they all get to share team cabins! They all get to eat the meals Chef makes for them in our new Mess Hall, (if they can keep it down that is, heheh) and they can all share a communal washroom instead of having to go out in the wilderness.

Now, for this season of Total Drama, we've done something a little bit different. In our interviews with the contestants, we sorted them all into their teams already based on their answers to a few of our questions."

The camera cut to Chris waiting on the docks of Nui Kaua as three separate planes began to circle over the lake.

"The first team!" Chris smiled into the camera. "Team Ka Lani!"

"Waaaaah!" The Golden Plane with a Dove symbol on it turned and tossed its passengers towards into the water.

"Making up this team, we have Nixia!" Chris said as the Ka Lani members all swam towards the dock and got on.

A light tan skinned girl with long brownish red hair tied in a half-up bow combo walked up to Chris. She was dressed in a, now drenched, sapphire blue long sleeved shirt, with the sleeves getting wider the closer they got to her hands. As she held her arms out in a T like pose in order to effectively dry them off, the design of a rose on the shirt could clearly be seen. Through the wet shirt, her black sports bra was faintly visible. On her right pinky, a gold ring glistened as lake water dripped off of it, quite similarly to her rose earrings on either ear. Her mouth was hidden behind a scarlet scarf which she pulled down in order to cough up the lake water in her lungs. She rested her hands on the knees of her black yoga pants for a second while she looked at Chris before stepping to the other side of the dock with her sapphire blue boots. "I hope you're happy." She said. "Your stunt just gave half the animals living in the lake a heart attack!"

[Nixia-The Nature Lover]

"Oh, I am!" Chris assured her condescendingly. "Our next Ka Lani member...Aleister!"

A rather well dressed by with pale skin, messy shoulder-length dark red hair, and purple, feline-like eyes hoisted himself out of the water and onto the dock. He was wearing black skinny jeans under a black dress shirt with a purple tie and a purple vest. He brought up his hands covered in black gloves to adjust his tie.

"Hello." Nixia smiled at Aleister, her teammate. "I'm Nixia, but you can call me Nix or Rose if you want. It's nice to meet you!"

"Sorry." Aleister responded without looking back at her as he crossed the dock and looked towards the island. "I only talk to strong or cool people like myself. I definitely don't like girly or flowery things."

[Aleister-The Fake Bad Guy]

"Also on Ka Lani…" Chris smiled. "We have Stephanie!"

"Chriiiis!" Stephanie cheered as she jumped out of the water and onto the dock. She was a very fair skinned girl, and quite athletic and curvy. Aleister and the boys in the water all took notice of her rather large breasts.

Stephanie was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with sleeves cut to elbow length atop jeans and tennis shoes, but she took her now dripping sweatshirt off to reveal a green sleeveless tank top. She tilted her head and her shoulder length blonde hair released the water it had accumulated from the lake onto the dock.

"Heyyy!" She smiled at her teammates as she joined them on the other side of the dock. "Let's all give it our best alright?"

[Stephanie-The Cheerleader]

"Hi!" Nixia smiled. "I'm Nixia! Nice to meet you!"

"Stephanie!" Stephanie smiled back. "And who are you?" She asked Aleister a little coyly, her blue left eye and green right eye glistening with curiosity.

"A-Aleister." He replied. He turned to Chris. "Hey, Chris, when's another dude going to get here? Preferably a strong one?"

"Well….there's Hayes!" Chris said as Hayes brought himself up onto the dock. He was wearing a white shirt with a green wave pattern under an unzipped blue jacket on top of jeans and white tennis shoes. His skin was somewhat tanned and his mixed brown and hazel almond-shaped eyes sat under a head of short but shaggy chocolate brown hair. His build was like that of a track-field athlete. He was lanky in most places, but his abdominal region was rather well defined compared to the rest of his body.

"I'm here?" He asked as he moved across the dock. "Hah! I'm here! I can't believe it!"

"You sound excited for someone who doesn't look all that strong." Aleister said.

"Oh, I am excited!" Hayes smiled.

[Hayes-The Overshadowed Younger Sibling]

* * *

Confessional: Hayes: Ka Lani

"My older siblings are both hardcore overachievers, and I'm constantly compared to both of them. I auditioned for this show as a way to get away from them and prove that Hayes can do something that his overachieving siblings are way too busy with their own lives to be able to do!...That….that came out wrong."

End Confessional

* * *

"That's great and all, but we've still only got half your team down!" Chris said. "Next up...we have Sophie!"

"No!" Sophie jumped out of the lake and rushed up to Chris. She was slightly pale and of caucasian descent. She stood at six feet tall and a lean and hourglass body shape. Her almond shaped eyes were a light green and rested under a head of dyed green hair, which was shoulder length and straight with the entire right side of her head shaved of it. She was sporting a dark red tank top with a black vest that looked like a jacket with its sleeves torn out, a metal belt, a pair of black fingerless gloves, black low-rise shorts, and a pair of black stockings and grey boots.

"No, no no no no. We are _not_ referring to me by that name while I'm here. Here, I'm going by my stage name! Cassandra!"

[Cassandra-The Punk Rocker]

"Alright...Cassandra." Chris smiled. "Go join the rest of your team."

"You seem strong enough." Aleister nodded approvingly.

"Way to stand up to Christ out of the gate like that!" Stephanie said, impressed.

"Welcome to the team, Cassandra!" Nixia said.

Hayes just stared in awe.

"And Clay!" Chris continued as the next contestant found his way onto the dock.

He was very tall standing at 6'5", and had mostly white skin with a tan tinge. His body was built rather muscularly, but nothing overblown or ridiculous. His oval shaped, chocolate brown eyes sat beneath a brown mohawk about half a foot tall. He was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, black Under Armour sneakers, black sunglasses, and a black biker jacket with the sleeves ripped off to show his tattoos on either of his arms. His right bicep was covered with a barbed wire tattoo that wrapped around his entire right arm, while his left arm depicted a portrait of a black wolf silently stalking its prey with glowing red eyes.

"You put my guitar in the cabin, right?" Clay asked Chris.

"Sure did." Chris gave Clay the double guns. "Just be sure to tune it and practice when other campers aren't trying to sleep and you're golden."

"Alright then." Clay relaxed.

"Now here is someone who looks strong." Aleister said. "I was wondering if- hey, where are you going?"

"To our team's cabin, to practice my guitar." Clay replied. "Alone."

[Clay-The Lone Wolf]

"I never said you guys had to stay here." Chris shrugged. "You all just assumed that."

"I guess we'll catch up with you later then?" Stephanie asked.

"Maybe." Clay shrugged.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Well looks like I made it on the show after all. That's kind of awesome and I bet James and the other session musicians are going nuts for me. I'll do my best out here for you guys. Anyways I'm stoked to actually get into this game and see how the other contestants stack up in the challenges. But most importantly, I'm searching for a nice spot to meditate on this beautiful island away from a majority of the other contestants. That should give me the peace of mind to write a few new songs and get the beat and instrument chords down for them. The sooner I get this material done, the more prepared I'll be to launch my career in the hard rock/metal industry following the show. Let's get this game started!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Pffft!" The final female member of Ka Lani surfaced from the lake and spat out any water she might have gulped up.

She was 5'11" with peach colored skin and round crystal blue eyes that rested under a head of braided black hair, draped over her right shoulder. She was dressed in a purple chiffon tank top, blue jeans, white socks and white running shoes. She had a golden heart necklace around her neck.

"Oooh!" She sang. " _This_ is my team? You're all so cute!"

Practically everyone blushed at her smile.

"Nice to have you here Alice, but maybe let me do the introductions." Chris said.

[Alice-The Adorable Vocalist]

"Heehee, of course." Alice responded with a laugh.

She then looked around for someone else.

"And finally…" Chris said. "Rounding out Ka Lani, we have Evan!"

A 6'1" boy appeared from the lake, he seemed kind of dirty and tall and slim for the most part, but perhaps a bit chubby. His circular greenish blue eyes rested below a head of scalp length dirty blonde hair, which was rather messy, with bangs occasionally covering his eyes. He was clad in a black unzipped leather jacket, a red shirt with rips, and muddy jeans.

"Dude...did you fight a school of piranhas or something on the way here?" Chris laughed.

"These are...my normal clothes…" Evan said. "And I would never need to fight piranhas, they don't care about what I do."

[Evan-The Human Animal Survivalist]

"And with that, Team Ka Lani has been introduced." Chris smiled. "Go head to your cabin! It's where the old Killer Waves camp used to be last season, along the beach. Girls bunk in the left side, boys on the right side."

"Um...Chris...excuse me…" Alice raised her hand as everyone else left towards their cabin. "I happen to know that a Steven Orland will be joining us on the show, and I think you might have forgotten to introduce him…"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten Alice." Chris smiled. "Steven will simply arrive with the rest of his team."

"Waaaahhh!" The green plane with a Tree symbol on it turned and dropped all its passengers into the lake.

"Like now!" Chris turned to the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Team Honua! First up we have...Lucy!"

A rather petite girl at 4'9 and ½" pulled herself onto the dock. She had sharp blue-green eyes which were large almond shaped much like a cat's with short lashes. Above them was a head of chin-length red hair, worn down down in loose curls, bangs parting down the middle and covering her right eye. Under her left eye was a beauty mark. On the right side of her nose was an embedded silver stud, and a similar one was located under her bottom lip, and many more on either of her ears.

She was wearing a simple basic white spaghetti strapped tank top with a dark red maroon off the shoulder tee over it with a round collar top. The maroon top had an upside down crescent black moon in the center of it. She also wore a black leather open jacket with straps and buckles around the collar and waist lined with studded spikes. For pants she wore black skinny jeans with rips in the knees along with a studded metal silver belt, the buckle of which looked like an angry cat. On her feet were big faux leather spiked lace up combat boots that covered her shins. She put her hand under her studded black choker as she coughed up some lake water.

"That is _not_ cool McLean." She grunted. "The least you could have done was tell us to wear our swimsuits so we didn't get our clothes wet. I'm all for wild rides, but only when they're on my own terms."

[Lucy-The Biker Chick]

She took off her jacket to reveal a black tattoo outline of a lotus on her left shoulder, below the sleeve line.

"No." Chris shook his head. "The _least_ I could have done was nothing."

He turned to the camera. "Which I did." He winked.

He turned back towards the end of the docks as Lucy gave him a death stare as she walked across to the other side.

"Next up, we have Kevin!"

A rather tall and tanned skinned boy hoisted himself onto the dock and coughed up some lake water. His circular bluish green eyes sat underneath his somewhat short and shaggy blonde hair with a cowlick. He was dressed in a blue, grey, and black striped shirt under a hoodie. On his pants he wore blue jeans, and black sneakers on his feet. He cleaned off his glasses before he put them back on his face.

"You don't look all too excited, dude." Lucy said.

"Oh, no, I am." Kevin replied. "I'll tell the team about it later."

[Kevin-The Autistic Boy]

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I've been waiting for this day to come. I'm a huge fan of the Total Drama series. I might have autism(asperger's specifically), but that won't stop me from getting far in this game! Also, you may hate me for this, but I like Ezekiel. Come on, you have to feel sorry for that dude. Well, besides his sexual woman comments. I like girls. But that's besides the matter alright?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Hooooo-ey!" A girl with a pale and very freckled complexion stepped onto the dock. She shook her head of long black hair worn down and looked around with her dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a largely revealing white sailor's outfit with blue accents and a sailor's cap of the same color with an anchor design on its front. "Oh haven't even started the game yet, and I'm already thrown overboard!" She took off her white rain boots and walked barefoot across the dock before pouring kelp out of her footwear back into the lake.

"Galiris…" Chris smiled. "So glad you could join us."

[Galiris-The Sailor Girl]

"Next up…" Chris said as Galiris joined the rest of Honua and met a smile from Lucy while Kevin gave a small nod as he avoided eye contact. "Is Zubin!"

A skinny, tan skinned boy with well developed forearms lifted himself onto the dock. His brown eyes surveyed his teammates as though they were a hand of poker cards. He smiled. His short black hair was combed with a left side part on show.

"Hello, all." He announced politely. "My name is Zubin, and I hope we can all get along!"

[Zubin-The Nice Guy Strategist]

He was dressed in Mass Effect N7 sweatshirt over a Tali'Zorah T-shirt, only barely visible because of the lake water. On his legs were some broken in khakis and New Balance sneakers with white athletic socks. Although it was not on his head, he was carrying a currently drenched fedora, inside of which rested a pair of mirrored prescription Ray-Ban sunglasses. He took off his rectangular regular glasses and put the sunglasses on to deal with the bright sunlight. As he rose his hand over his forehead to look out at the rest of the team, a WaveCeptor watch on his wrist was clearly visible.

"Next up…" Chris smiled. "Is Lina!"

Lina struggled to pull herself up onto the dock. She had somewhat of an hourglass shape, though it wasn't as wide at the hips as most hourglass shapes usually were. Her olive green eyes were like the shape of thick almonds, although perhaps a bit rounder. Her hair was a sort of caramel milk chocolate color, long and curly at the back with braids on the sides resembling a greekish style, and was long enough to reach her butt. She was wearing a long sleeved warm grey shirt that overlaps at the hands so that her hand's couldn't be entirely seen. She wore a small stretch, and a wavy black and white checkered skirt with a bow on the front, and regular grey converse on her feet.

"H-...hi…." Lina said as she stopped.

[Lina-The Whisperer]

"You might want to unfreeze and walk to the end of the dock, Lina." Chris said. "We still have more introductions, like Kaleaf for instance!" He gestured towards the end of the dock.

A boy with light chocolate skin rose up onto the dock. He had almond shaped dark brown eyes and flowy shoulder length emo dark brown hair. He wore a pure white shirt with a center that looked like it had a red tear going down the middle with black on the right side. He wore a pair of all black shorts down to his lower thighs with their cuffs being a faded white. On his feet he wore black converse.

He looked around. "Pretty nice place." He said as he clutched his phone close to him. "I'm going to go listen to some music to calm down from that unexpected fall."

"Won't you stay for a bit and meet everyone though?" Galiris asked.

"I'll meet everyone later!" Kaleaf called as he rushed inland.

[Kaleaf-The 'Angry' Black Japanese]

"And rounding out Honua…" Chris smiled. "We have Steven and Astral!"

"Steven!" Alice, who was still on the docks, exclaimed happily. "There you are!"

"Chris…." Steven said. "Could you do me a favor and put Alice and I on the same team? My father-"

"I'm aware of your situation, Steven." Chris replied. "But if you have any complaints about the teams, feel free to talk to Chef about it."

Chris pointed towards Chef, who was holding a large steak knife with a menacing grin on his face.

"Different teams it is." Steven backed down as he walked across the dock towards the rest of his own team. Steven had peach skin, and was very muscular with an eight pack. He smiled at his teammates and looked at each of them with his circular crystal blue eyes. His short straight casual hair reached his neck and was black in color. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and a black leather jacket. On his legs were a pair of blue jeans, long white socks, and white running shoes.

"It's such a pleasure to meet all of you." He greeted his teammates. The girls of the team, almost instinctively, swooned at his voice. Steven gave a quiet chuckle as he joined his new allies.

[Steven-The Teen Heartthrob]

He looked over at Alice. "We'll meet up later, I promise." He said.

Alice nodded and rushed towards Team Ka Lani's cabin.

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Honua

"It sucks that Alice and I are not on the same team, but I really hope that we'll still get to talk to one another. I need to make sure that the rest of her teammates protect her. Who knows? My father may have escaped from prison and I really don't want him to hurt Alice."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"No! Steven and I are on different teams! This is the worst day ever! I mean, we're both famous, but we came on this show together so that my step-father won't hurt me...I'm scared...what if he does?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Astral…" Chris looked over at Astral. "You going to say hello to the rest of your team?"

Astral, a very thin and lithe girl with no real defining features in terms of body shape, slowly made her way across the dock.

Her almond shaped, lilac purple eyes looked around at her new teammates warily. She had long deep purple hair that was almost a navy blue worn up in two large pigtails, each held in place by a skull clip on either side of her head, covering both hair-ties. She wore a black shirt with an image of a white pentagram in the center. The shirt, hanging off her left shoulder, revealed a black bra strap, and also ended above and revealed her midriff. On her legs, she wore a black skirt that went to her mid-thigh. On the skirt were two gold and black buckle straps on the left side. Her feet were covered by black leather combat boots, with silver zippers lining the outer side of the boots and three gold and black buckle straps going over the top of each zipper, for aesthetic effect.

[Astral-The Occult Freak]

"H-h-hello…" Astral spoke in a soft and delicate whisper.

"Well, I couldn't hear it, but she definitely said something." Chris smiled. He tossed a map Honua's way, Galiris caught it.

"Your team's cabin will be in the old Raging Flames camp, in a nice large clearing in the forest." He announced. "One of you make sure to tell Kaleaf where his camp is later. Just like Ka Lani, girls get the left side of the cabin, boys on the right."

As the members of Team Honua all left, Chris turned back to the camera.

"And now, for our final team...Team Ka Malu O!"

"Waaaaahhhh!" The final plane, scarlet in color with a Bat symbol, tossed its passengers into the lake and they all swam to shore.

"First up we have...Maddie!" Chris announced happily.

"Yayyy!" Maddie exclaimed as she jumped out of the water. She was incredibly short and fair skinned girl, who was petite in all senses, with barely any bust. Her teal eyes were big and almond shaped and rested behind a pair of big blue-framed glasses. Her hair was styled in two neon blue twin tails that were dyed purple at the ends, which reached her back.

She was wearing a white blouse and a blue scarf around her neck. On her waist was a short blue skirt, and on her feet she wore long white socks and black shoes.

She parted her painted black lips into a troublesome grin as she noticed the volcano. "Hey, hey, when will the volcano erupt? Soon right? Oooh, I hope it's soon!"

[Maddie-The Small Pyromaniac]

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"I can't believe they accepted me! I just ate five chocolate bars to be ready for anything! I wonder how many girls there are...Oh, and how are they? Is everyone here normal or are some "different" like me? Why am I asking all these questions? Maybe I ate too much chocolate…

Let's kindle this game, hehehehehehehehe….!

…

What? You don't laugh crazily sometimes?"

End Confessional

* * *

"N-next up…" Chris said, hurrying right along. "We have Deamian!"

"Hey Chris!" Deamian said as he brought himself onto the dock.

"And hello to you beautiful gothic lolita."

"No." Maddie crossed her arms and looked away. "You're a disgusting _boy_. Become a girl before you talk to me like that again."

"Guess you swing that way then, huh?" Deamian shrugged as he walked across the dock. "Yo Chris, was my friend Lina introduced yet?"

"She's already at her team's cabin by now." Chris smiled. "Right now it's only you, your teammates, and Chef."

Chris turned to Chef again, who was still holding the steak knife in the menacing position.

"Of course." Deamian replied.

[Deamian-The Smooth Criminal]

He had a peach skin tone with tan lines on his abs. He was lean, but he had some muscle and a pretty built figure. His dark brown almond shaped eyes seemed to glitter with a hint of mischief and rested below a head of spiky black hair that was combed and gelled to look as good as possible. He wore a white hoodie which spelled out Boss in Military font, and wore black jeans and white high tops on his legs and feet. Around his neck, he kept a pair of headphones.

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"The island looks perfect to hold a party in! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! I'm so looking forward to outsmarting people in challenges! Going for Gold baby! Woo! I'm also looking forward to the lovely lovely ladies of the island if your know what I mean~, I'm not looking forward to waking up early! I love long naps like a cat don't bother me when I sleep or i go full Judoo mode on whoever is in my way!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Next up…" Chris said. "We have Dominique!"

A girl with a butterscotch skine tone pulled herself onto the dock. Her body was sort of pear shaped in build, with her upper body being remarkably average, and her hips and butt both being remarkably curvy and large. She looked around with her almond shaped hazel brown eyes at her current teammates before turning to Chris.

"You better not go dropping me in the lake again!" She warned "At least, not without fair warning, or it being part of a challenge!"

[Dominique-The Straight Talker]

Her sandy brown hair, which had been in a large poofy afro while she was a passenger in the plane, had straightened out due to the lake water and was now reaching her elbows.

She was wearing a white long sleeve belly shirt and ripped, skin-tight jeans with black shoes.

She walked across the dock to the rest of her team.

"Fierce and independent….I like it." Deamian smiled.

"Save it for when you've gotten to know me better and when you actually mean it." Dominique said as she turned to watch the rest of Ka Malu O climb onto the docks.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Wow this is the camp? It's pretty decent in here. I actually like it. I'm so lit right now to be here. I honestly can't wait to get to the first challenge. I also can't wait to meet the others. They might be cool. Might not be. But t depends on how they act. They cool and welcoming then we cool. But if you like act all stank with a attitude you can bounce on over to the next. Anyways for free time. I wanna get to know some people. I wanna know what's up with them and how they feeling. Maybe one of them gon' help me win find a tiki, maybe not. Anyways I'm loving everything so far. Oh and if I got me a "heather" on my team. Best believe someone gon be fighting me. TRUST!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Sherwood!" Chris announced as a lanky, slightly tanned boy walked across the dock.

He looked at his teammates with oval shaped green eyes and then looked back at the rest of his teammates in the water. He slowly shook his head of black hair stylised in somewhat of a vampirical fashion. His outfit consisted of a suit jacket, black shoes, and a green shirt. He already seemed eager to head off on his own.

[Sherwood-The Standalone Guy]

* * *

Confessional: Sherwood: Ka Malu O

"Well, I'm here. So that's good. Not going to be much to do outside challenges, though I'm not surprised. Here's hope that things do decently enough through our challenges."

End Confessional

* * *

Chris turned to the interns as Sherwood headed inland. "Did you put some sort of 'Does their own thing' person on every team?"

The interns shrugged.

"Whatever." Chris waved his hand. "I'll deal with you two later, just bring the next contestant up."

Out of the water and onto the dock stepped a very pale and unhealthily skinny girl. Her hazel eyes hid behind her glasses, and her straight long black hair was worn down with no style whatsoever. She was dressed in a white hoodie and blue jeans. She slowly made her way across the dock and looked at her team.

"Let me make this clear right out off the bat, I have an IQ of 187, so being the fucking smartest, I am naturally the best choice to lead this team. As long as you remember that, we can succeed. Any defiant contestants will have hell to pay."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Katrina…" Chris said, more surprised that Katrina didn't waist any time on the docks than he was with what she said.

[Katrina-The Arrogant Braniac]

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Of course I was accepted. They'd be insane not to accept me. Hopefully my team isn't shit. I'd dread being stuck with complete morons. If not, hopefully I can get a decent group of friends on the island. I'm going to go insane if I have to deal with a group of retards."

End Confessional

* * *

"Is she rubbin' anyone else the wrong way with all that smack talk to her own team, or is it just me?" Dominique asked the rest of her team.

"Chriiiiissss!" A voice called from further out in the lake.

Chris squinted as he looked out to see a boy being gripped by a large reddish-orange octopus.

"Oh no no no no no!" Chris worried. He turned to Chef. "Chef, you better get out there, what if Octo eats a contestant?"

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"That poor misunderstood octopus would get sick! Chef and I _had_ to do something!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Briand...you certainly joined us in an interesting fashion." Chris said to the next contestant.

"It's all good, man, that was _awesome_!" The brown skinned boy with a rectangular build said, excitedly.

"That octopus should have crushed you with the way it was squeezing." Katrina noted. "How are you still alive?"

"I'm pretty resilient like that." Briand replied as his circle shaped grey eyes glistened with excitement while he scratched his bald cut head of brown hair. He was wearing a green open jacket over a yellow t-shirt. On his legs were yellow shorts, black running shoes and white socks.

"If you liked _that_." Chris smiled. "Then you're going to _love_ a few of the challenges we have planned this season, hehaaah."

"Really?" Briand asked excitedly. "Sweets!"

[Briand-The Resilient Risk Taker]

* * *

Confessional: Briand: Ka Malu O

"Hey, hey, the name's Briand and I got accepted to Total Drama No Kana... wait that isn't it." He looked like he was thinking really hard on trying to figure out name ."Oh yeah, Nui Kaua it was called. Anyway, I'm pumping with excitement. All the people I will meet and talk to, the winning of the money and most importantly" He holds his breath then" THE DANGEROUS CHALLENGES BABY! Heh sorry, this is going to awesome"

End Confessional

* * *

"Next…" Chris said as Briand joined the rest of his team, to Katrina's discomfort. "We have Julia!"

"Thanks, Chris!" Julia responded in a perfect replication of Chris's voice, causing the rest of her team's eyes to widen.

[Julia-The Silly Mimic]

She had a bright brown, slightly tan skin tone.

Her body shape was rather petite, and she seemed more thin and skinny than athletic.

Her black bangs covered her right eye while the rest of her black hair was in a ponytail that draped over her shoulder.

The eye that others _could_ see was oval shaped and auburn in color. Around her neck, she was wearing a green scarf. Her top consisted of a pink shirt with stars and glitter along with a Jigglypuff singing. On her legs she wore blue jeans along with a rainbow colored belt with a mic shaped buckle, and black boots that had been crafted into appearing as an eighth note.

"Hello, everybody." She said in a perfect mimic of Courtney's voice. "It's very nice to meet you all. I hope we can get along!"

"And finally…" Chris announced the 24th contestant. "We have-"

"Ah, after waiting for a lengthitudinal amount of time, the most splendifabuliferous contestant will finally be unveiled to the world!" Pierre stated as he hopped onto the dock.

[Pierre-The Fabulous Spectacle]

The first thing that caught everyone's eye about Pierre wasn't anything he was wearing, rather, it was what he had with him.

A cobra with scales of silver and black, both glistening from the lakewater.

"He brought a _snake_ with him?" Katrina asked. "In what realm is that fair?"

"Excuse you, but Silivia is a _cobra_ ," Pierre replied. "The most reg-elegant of serpents!"

"Contestants have always been allowed to bring luxury items with them to camp." Chris replied. "Remember Harold's red ant farm from season 1? Or Duncan's spider Scruffy from season 2? Contestants caring for animals is nothing new. Of course, we won't be providing his snake with any food ourselves, that's all on him."

"Silivia is quite intellectuelegant." Pierre responded. "She'll be feeding herself for the duration of our stay." He turned to Chris. "And I trust Foudre has already been delivered to my quarters?"

"Another animal?" Julia asked in a replication of Cody's voice.

"Nonsense. A musical gift from the heavens." Pierre replied.

He had a dark brown skin tone and narrow violet eyes. His hair was pure white with maroon highlights and medium/shaved. It was shaved on the left side of his head, with the right side of his hair hanging over the right side of his head. He too was lean with a bit of muscle.

He was wearing a pure white racing jacket with a maroon line on the right side of it, and a maroon cobra head with 'Pierre' spelled in black letters under it. He wore a silver chain necklace with a cobra head with maroon eyes as a pendant. Under the jacket, once again only visible due to the lake water, he wore a steel gray t-shirt made of cotton. On his legs were a pair of maroon leather pants with silver cobra head as a buckle. On his feet were steel gray ankle high shoes, with a maroon star on their outer sides and maroon laces, which covered long black socks. On his right ear, hidden behind his hair, one silver and one gold earring could both be seen. He put on a pair of triangle shades with maroon lenses and a white rim as his cobra, Silivia, slithered around his body so that he could move his arms unhindered, at which point a sapphire blue wristband, and a silver and gold colored watch could be seen on his left arm.

"And now that the most glamorous among us has arrived, we can finally get started!" He grinned.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"*Is doing his hair and making sure Silivia's scales are sparkly clean*. What?... We must look as fabulous as possible in this first episode. I'm not surprised to be here at Nui Kaua, I knew Chris wanted his show to have much glamour that only I can provide. Also he better not be thinking that he is the most fantabulous here on this island."

End Confessional

* * *

"And finally...Mercifully….Introductions are over." Chris sighed in relief. He tossed a map towards the team which Katrina snatched immediately.

"You'll be staying at a cabin in The Screaming Winds' old camp, just at the base of the volcano. It's a bit of an uphill hike, but it'll be worth it, because once you've all settled, you'll be instructed to meet me at the top of Mt. Immolate for a few new surprises that this game has to offer, and you'll have already completed most of the trek."

* * *

 _Location: Mt Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): All_

"Welcome, everyone, to Total Drama Nui Kaua! Unlike last season you do _not_ have to worry about food or shelter or comfort. Well, at least not as much as last season's contestants. So we no longer have any camp luxuries for you to win in addition to immunity."

"Awww…" A few of the bigger fans of the series sighed.

"However…" Chris walked towards a table and unveiled a cloth. On the cloth were 15 different looking Tikis, 3 of which were pushed towards the front of the table.

"The three tikis at the front of this table are, if you've been watching recently, Team based Immunity Tikis. The Heaven, Hell, and Earth tikis to be precise. Only an original member of Ka Lani may play the Heaven Tiki as an immunity tiki, and the same deal is given for Ka Malu O and Hell, and Honua and Earth. You play them during an elimination ceremony _before_ the elimination takes place, and you can play them for you or for someone else.

"The rest of these tikis…" Chris said as he gestured towards the twelve remaining tikis. "Are known as Twist Tikis! They each follow their own special set of rules Each tiki has a special effect guaranteed to shake up the flow of things! Just a little something to keep you on your toes. In fact, one of you has _already_ been given a hint to the whereabouts of one of these tikis."

The contestants all looked at each other, wondering who the lucky person who had already received the hint was.

"Any questions so far?" Chris asked.

Zubin raised his hand.

"Are those tikis on the table the actual ones?"

"No, these tikis are all replicas, none of them have the McLean Seal of Approval on them." Chris replied. He then took a tiki that seemed to depict a skull on it.

"Except this one. This is the Curse Tiki, and believe me...you _don't_ want this one, hehehaaah...but one of you will end up with it later anyway. I can't _wait_ for that."

Maddie raised her hand.

"Can you burn them?"

"I...suppose you could burn the Immunity Tikis…" Chris said, nervously. "But the Twist Tikis, again, like the Curse Tiki, have certain rules about them that you have to follow. The biggest one being that you can't destroy them or throw them away."

Clay raised his hand.

"Could you go over what each tiki does?"

"Nah." Chris shook his head. "It's more fun to let you guys run around looking for them yourself. "In fact, if you direct your attention...that way!" Chris pointed towards where a cabin sitting in the old Violent Quakes camp could clearly be seen.

"That cabin houses not one, but _two_ Twist tikis, provided you can solve its secrets. While it's nothing special compared to your normal living arrangements, The Honeymoon Cabin is the final big change to this game."

"Honeymoon Cabin?" Galiris asked.

"Yes." Chris replied. "This season, after each challenge... _every_ team will be voting. The losers will have to vote someone off, but the two winning teams will both be voting for a member of the _other_ winning team to spend _allll_ the way until the very next challenge in the Honeymoon cabin, as such, the two of you will be effectively exiled from the rest of the game until the next challenge, which could _really_ screw you over if you need to micromanage alliances. Or miss important free-time events around your camp."

"But there's two Twist Tikis inside if we solve the mystery of the cabin?" Alice asked.

"That's correct." Chris said. "It's a risk-reward type deal. Be careful who you send over from the other team, because you may actually be giving them a massive advantage in the game."

Chris then put the cover back over the tikis, snapped his fingers, and two interns began to carry the large table back down the volcano.

"Now, please turn around." He asked the contestants.

"What the heck is a bonfire pit doing all the way up here?" Kaleaf asked.

"Because a certain _someone_..." Chris winced. "Who shall remain nameless destroyed the bridge leading off of the island, we don't have the coals of shame anymore. Lucky you guys. Instead, we will hold the Po'ino Bonfire ceremony _here_. The pit down by the ruined bridge can be used for your own entertainment. This one however, is strictly for elimination.

Chris pulled a barrage of leis out of his pocket.

"This season, contestants will receive a lei of their favorite color in order to stay in the game. Furthermore, the team that comes in _first_ in each challenge, gets to watch the ceremony from a peanut gallery, and remember, you all count as present at the elimination ceremony, so if you have a tiki that you want to play to screw up your rival team's vote...all the more power to you, heheheh…"

Plans began to form in each of the contestants' heads.

"Finally, if you do not receive a lei, you must take…" Chris motioned to the most rickety and unsafe looking hang glider imaginable. "The Hang Glide of Shame off of the island and you cannot come back unless-." He stopped himself and brought his hands up to cover a grin. "Nevermind that actually." He chuckled. "You'll find out eventually. Anyways, that's all for now. The rest of today is Free Time for you, so do your best to psych yourselves up for your first challenge tomorrow morning!"

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre, Julia, Katrina, Briand, Dominique_

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

Julia is visibly worried sick as she looks at the camera and speaks in her true awkwardly shrill and high pitched voice. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening. Oh my god, I'm actually in Total Drama! Oh noooo."

*Static*

"Unlike the others, I kind of sent my video as a joke; I didn't think they would actually pick me as a contestant! I mean, there are thousands of other teens who would probably love to risk their lives for...a million…*Sigh*...Sadly, if I wanted to, I'd be on the same boat." She then slapped herself out of her moping. "I need to stop sulking and accept the fact that I brought this upon myself. Maybe, it won't be bad." A smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, I could make decent friends, those who won't hurt me if I copy a couple of their actions. Find a guy and-" She shook her head. "Get your head out of the clouds, Julia. You know how relationships are in shows like this! Remember what happened to Trent." She thought for a bit. "I could just make myself useless, forcing them to eliminate me. The faster you leave the show, the better chance you have of leaving the show alive." She then began to imitate Scarlett's voice. "Or I could send every known camper here to hysteria as I trample upon their feelings and breeze through the competition. Whichever works in my favor when the opportunity presents itself." She then shifted back to her normal voice. "Before I leave this show, I'm going to have fun."

Postpone Confessional

* * *

"Hey, man, where's you killer cobra?" Julia asked Pierre in Duncan's voice as she noticed him exit the cabin with an electric guitar in his hands.

"Silivia is out finding her prey." Pierre replied. "The flight here made her stomach roar with starveditude."

"It was a day long flight." Katrina said without looking up from the book she was reading. "So of course she'd be hungry."

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Pierre said. "I would like to be on my glamorous way towards the forest. I wish to serenade my serpintine partner as she hunts with more grace than half of the contestants in the history of this show."

"That guitar won't make any noise without an amp." Katrina remarked. "I was worried by teammates wouldn't be smart."

"I'll have you know the quiet vibrations of an electric guitar are perfectly audible for my dear Silivia, and give her precisely the accompaniment she needs to make her hunts fantabulous." Pierre replied. "Not that you would know anything about style."

"I don't need to know anything about style." Katrina responded. "I have an IQ of 187, I already know anything that _actually_ matters." She stood up and turned towards the cabin. "I'm going inside."

Pierre turned to Julia. "You are a mimic correct? I'll tell you this now, the only one worth mimicking is _me_. You can be my fabulous double!"

Julia grinned. "Sounds absolutely splendiferous." She mimicked Pierre's voice.

As Pierre left towards the forest, Julia went back towards the cabin. "Katrina, wait!" She called.

* * *

Resume Confessional

"Since I'm stuck here, I might as well make an effort to win. I think the best way to get far in the competition is to be familiarized with your teammates and not get on anyone's bad side. That, and trying not to look for the Tikis early on; I still can't believe that they voted Victor off just from that last season! I mean, at least he was useful in the challenge!" Julia then began to giggle at an ever increasing pace. "Oh wow, I now realized the irony of his name. Victor, the first to leave Zero Sum. Hahaha!"

*Static*

Julia now looks embarrassed but has calmed down. "S-sorry. I'm very sorry about that. I laugh easily. What was I saying before? Right, getting to know your team members. Hmm, I guess that I'll hang with Pierre and Katrina more than the others. Pierre seems like the kind of guy who loves dramatics. If he likes my mimicking, I want him to ally with me. Katrina is just a brainiac. I see her more of an enemy than a friend. Best to have her wrapped around my finger, thinking she's using me as her tool." Julia shifted to Evan's voice. "That arrogance of hers will be her downfall!" Then switched to Sugar. "Poor darlin's head is so far up in the clouds that she doesn't know that I'm pulling the strings." Once again, Julia shifted to her normal voice. "Though, maybe she just needs someone to pay attention to her. Technically, the main person who _I'm_ scared of is Deamian. That sleaze just rubs me the wrong way. Pluse, some of the girls like his bad boy attitude. Ugh, it sickens me. The rest are ok; I just need more time to adjust to their...quirks. But who am I to talk about antics, Miss Copycat?"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm reading." Katrina said as the two girls entered their side of the cabin to find Dominique turning on and off the fan while Briand gripped onto a blade for dear life.

"Maybe he'll fall and burst his skull." Katrina mumbled as she sat down on her bunk.

"It would be one less mindless pillar to worry about." Julia mimicked Katrina's voice.

Katrina gave a small chuckle before stating, without emotion, "That's not funny. Let me read."

"You want me to stop yet?" Dominique called up to Briand. "'Cause I kind of want to stop and head somewhere else to get to know more of the people here!"

"Ju-u-u-ust….Lea-eave it o-o-o-n-n-n-n-nnnn Fa-a-a-a-assssttt!" Briand replied from the fan.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Well, I can't say I like all too many people on my team. But I haven't found anyone more 'heather'-y than Katrina, so that's good. Most of these people are pretty honest, but I'm thinkin' Briand is the best outta them so far. We cool, Briand."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Briand? He's probably going to die before he's voted off."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Kevin, Zubin, Galiris_

"Helloooo?" Dominique asked as she reached the Honua Campsite in the clearing that used to be the Raging Flame's camp. "Any of y'all Honua over here?"

"Oh!" Galiris smiled as she walked around the side of the Honua Cabin, holding what appeared to be a massive amount of streamers. "You're on Ka Malu O aren't you? It's nice to meet you! Name's Galiris!"

"I'm Dominique!" Dominique replied. "And what exactly….are you doing?"

"I'm just setting up for the party." Galiris said with a smile. "There aren't many people inside right now. Just Kevin and Zubin. Everyone else is all off somewhere else, and we're about to go round up our team members and bring them all back here for a little pre-competition celebration. Just something I wanted to do for my teammates. Any of us could be first to go after all, so I thought it'd be nice if everyone on Honua could look back on at least one fond memory."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"I want to throw this party for the team I've been placed on. I don't know anyone here, and depending on how well I do, I might stay on this island longer than I normally stay in one town before I have to set sail again. Hopefully, by doing this and by getting to know all my teammates, I can become sort of like the captain, and they can be like my crew! I bet it'd make my father proud! He's the captain of his own ship after all!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well...Good luck with that then." Dominique said. "I suppose that those two you mentioned are in the boy's room?"

Galiris nodded.

"Then I guess I'll get going and scout out Ka Lani's campsite. See you later."

"If you see any Honua members, please tell them that I'm looking for them!" Galiris called as Dominique left.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"She's throwing a freaking party? I'll bet the other team is doing something similar to that too...and here I am stuck on the team full of mostly selfish people! No one'll be throwing a party over at our camp!"

End Confessional

* * *

"So...you have aspergers?" Zubin asked Kevin as they both sat around a table, occasionally seeing Galiris run by a window, though neither yet knew what she was doing.

"Yeah." Kevin replied as he avoided eye contact with Zubin. "But I still think I can make it pretty far in the game. Because the best strategy is the winner in this game. Anyways, I'm planning to let everyone on the team know about it. That way I won't be given a hard time if I'm too silent or something."

"I agree completely with the strategy bit." Zubin smiled. "And I also want to meet all the members of our team more personally. After all, they're our teammates, and we should get to know each other."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"The island definitely looks nice. Weather seems pretty good, and we've got the run of the place to ourselves so that's good, too. Honestly, I'm really hoping to get into the Honeymoon Cabin - and not just for the prizes inside. I admit, it'll be a little tough actually talking to them. A good night for me usually involves a bag of chips and an Xbox."

End Confessional

* * *

"If you and I both are done here." Zubin said as he stood up. "Why don't we go searching for other members of our team?"

Kevin gave a nod in agreement and the two of them left the cabin, and notice Galiris, now holding significantly less streamers than before as she had wrapped the cabin with them multiple times now.

"Heya, studs." She smiled at both of them, attempting to stare each of them in the eyes, which Kevin managed to avoid, but Zubin found himself trapped in.

"What exactly are you doing...Galiris, correct?"

"Oh there's no need to be so formal. You can call me Gal, if you want. Anyways, I'm setting up for a Honua dinner party later! Are you going around looking for other Honua members? Could you take me with you then? I'd also like to meet them more personally than that introduction at the docks."

"Would this be beneficial to us in any way?" Zubin asked.

Galiris shifted in her rain boots, knocking her chest back and forth. "Welll…..She paused, looked up, and beamed brightly. "It would make me really happy!"

And so, Kevin, Zubin, and Galiris all headed south towards the Beach, where many more contestants had gathered.

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Evan, Sherwood, Deamian, Kaleaf, Lina, Lucy, Kevin, Zubin, Galiris_

* * *

Confessional: Aleister: Ka Lani

"Wow, I really am in a Total Drama, what can I say….oh I know! It's a pleasure to meet all you losers, hahahaha! Well, first thing's first. I need powerful allies so it's time to know who are the enemies and who are the losers! B-by the way….A-aren't the girls on my team so cute?"

End Confessional

* * *

Aleister walked along the beach and noticed Evan jogging up and down the sands, looking around. "Hey, you seem kind of strong!" Aleister jogged up next to him, jogging backwards. "I'm pretty strong too, so we should probably-"

He got distracted as he saw Octo from earlier rise out of the lake, and turned to noticed that Evan had left. "Huh." He said to himself. "I should put on a better show of strength next time."

Nearby, Sherwood was sitting on the beach, relaxing and listening in on two separate conversations. The first one being Deamian talking to Lina, and the second being Kevin, Zubin, and Galiris talking to each other on their way towards Lina, Lucy, and Kaleaf who were all present at the beach.

"I'm saying that if you're on the same team, you should go say hi to her!" Deamian said to Lina. "She's not going to be mean or anything like that. She's going to be happy that you took the time to introduce yourself, especially being that you're part of the same team. Or...what about him?" He pointed to Kaleaf, who was sitting further along the beach closer to the waves. "You could talk to him."

"I...I know but…" Lina said. "Whether it's Lucy or Kaleaf...I think I'm just a little too...shy…"

"Nonsense!' Deamian smiled. "You go out there and show them what a cool person you are! Otherwise I'll make everyone think you're super lame by telling them embarrassing stories!"

"Gah!" Lina gasped. "Alright already, I'll go you jerk!"

"That's the spirit!' Deamian chuckled.

As Lina left, and Kevin, Zubin and Galiris came along, Deamian gave a wink at Galiris. "You sail?" He asked. "You like rough water?"

"The rougher the water, the more fun the sailing is." Galiris winked back. "But I tend to sail closer to home."

"Fair enough." Deamian sighed as he relaxed and continued his tanning session.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I mean, it doesn't look too bad. It looks kind of nice actually! I've never been on an island before. I'm looking forward to seeing what the other contestants are made of...hopefully I can talk to them, it's just so awkward talking to people you've never met before, haha...I'm not looking forward to the food mostly, I mean it's a challenge TV show so they might not put out the most, how do I say it? _Sanitary_ foods? Just thinking about it makes me want to- urp!" She brought her hands up to her mouth.

End Confessional

* * *

"Kaleaf, Lucy, Lina!" Galiris called at the three Honua members as Sherwood continued to listen in. "Hi! I'm Galiris, and I hope we can be friends! I've got a party planned later tonight for everyone on Honua at our cabin, so please attend it! Let's celebrate being here while we still have the motivation to celebrate!"

"Hey, yeah!' Lucy agreed. "That sound's like a pretty cool idea, right you two?"

Neither Kaleaf nor Lina was quite expecting Lucy to say anything to them.

"Y-yeah!" Lina agreed in a very soft voice. "It sounds really fun…."

"I can…" Kaleaf looked over at the water. "Bring some fish and we can make sashimi if you want."

"Food that can actually be considered food?" Lina asked, realizing what she had just said in her confessional. "This party really does sound like fun now!"

"That's wonderful, Kaleaf!" Galiris smiled. "Thank you soo much! Anyways, I'll be heading on over to the forest next, because I'm looking for all the Honua members!"

"Oh, you should head to the leisure bonfire pit after that then." Lucy said. "I'm pretty sure that's where Steven's been all day with his step sister."

Galiris nodded. "I was wondering where that face had gone." She turned to Zubin and Kevin, "You two stay here for as long as you need to, I'll be waiting by the entrance to the forest for you two!"

"Part of a posse are we?" Lucy asked Kevin and Zubin as Kaleaf returned to fishing and Lina wandered into the forest as well.

"Similar agendas." Zubin replied as he picked up a strange looking rock. "Hello...what's this?"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"This rock is so interesting...it looks like a dove and a bat fighting in a tree. For a rock, it sure is detailed. I'll just keep this lucky rock in my left pocket. It might bring me good fortune."

End Confessional

* * *

"I guess we'll be seeing each other again at the party then eh?" Lucy asked. Zubin and Kevin both nodded. Kevin shuffled in his feet.

"J-just so you know...I have asperger's syndrome so if it seems like I'm a little distant...that's why. I'm glad to be your friend, really."

"Oh, thanks for letting me know." Lucy smiled. "That's really helpful information, and it probably stopped a huge misunderstanding down the line. I'll be sure to spread the word if you want me to. That way you can reach everyone in time for that party that Galiris has planned."

"Thank you very much." Kevin said, almost as though he was reciting it. And with that, he and Zubin both left. Lucy then shifted her attention towards the lake, and ran to a private beach stall to change.

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

Lucy rubbed her chin with a smirk before noticing the camera. "Well...gotta say it, I'm really digging this island. It's quite the little set-up and the place itself is amazing." She blew some of her bangs away from her eye momentarily. "Not to mention that the lake here is gorgeous! I'm totally hitting that before I leave, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!"

End Confessional

* * *

Lucy exited the changing room in her swimwear, a simple black string bikini with red hot flames on both sides of her rib cages. "Whoo!" She rushed down the dock before jumping into the lake, and began to swim towards Kaleaf. "Hey, you wanna join in? The water's great!"

"I'm fine!" Kaleaf responded as he looked back to the fish swimming by. "Maybe some other time though."

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"I feel so ecstatic joining the TD franchise as a contestant. Seeing the other campers here, it feels like I'm going to a new school in a different country. The frightening anticipation inside me makes me feel odd. However….after meeting Hayes...I kind of feel bad for him."

End Confessional

* * *

Kaleaf continued to gaze the fish. He rarely saw any of these fish in Japan. "I wonder what they'll taste like later tonight…" He mumbled aloud. When he was sure that Lucy was going back into the changing room, and that no one else was looking, Kaleaf quickly looked under the dock he was sitting on.

"Is there some sort of clue scroll here?" He wondered to himself. "No?...Oh well...Maybe I'll come back later, when less people are running around the island."

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Nixia, Clay, Evan, Lina, Astral_

Clay clutched a scroll in his hands as he sat alone in the middle of the forest, thinking about his teammates, which he had seen atop Mt. Immolate while Chris was explaining the tikis and the like. He was busy thinking about who seemed like what.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Aleister seems interesting…." he reflected quietly to himself. "He's clearly putting on a front with that tough guy act, but i don't know why...Nixia seems nice enough, but challenge wise I'm unsure if she'll hold well enough. Evan seems almost as reserved as me right now. I guess that makes me feel a certain kinship...Alice is kind of cute, but I'm not too sure what her strengths are. My expectations aren't high...Cassandra is probably my favorite teammate so far. She seems like she's honest and physically stronger than most of the other people out here. Hayes seems...a little out of place to be honest. It's a tad sad, but I'm not sure if he has any real skills to him. And Stephanie...seems to be like just about every other cheerleader I've ever seen. I guess the challenge will tell me the details…"

End Confessional

* * *

Clay opened his scroll up quickly and read over it again.

 _For being the first contestant to actually bring up the Monty Python reference in the interview, you've been given the clue to the whereabouts of Twist Tiki #7! The Legacy Tiki!_

 _Here's your hint:_

" _No legs have I to dance,_

 _No lungs have I to breathe,_

 _No life have I to live or die,_

 _Yet I do all three."_

 _We wish you luck!~The interns_

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I know the answer is 'fire', and the only thing that comes to mind is the bonfire pit, but firstly, now there are two, and secondly, It's still early in the game, and I don't want to look suspicious looking for a tiki right away. I'll probably wait until my team is present at an elimination ceremony, whether it be for winning or losing, before I begin looking in the bonfire pits."

End Confessional

* * *

Clay opened his eyes as he heard leaves rustling. He turned and looked at where the sound was coming from. It was only a snake slithering by.

"Hm. Maybe I'll leave and go somewhere else…" He said to himself.

"Wait, where are you going miss snake?" Nixia called as she nearly ran into Clay. "Oh...s-sorry. Just making friends with the animals of the forest, don't mind me."

And Clay didn't. He simply went to look for a new spot to meditate.

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"I'm so glad to be here on Nui Kaua! The island looks much more beautiful in person rather than on the tv. The other contestants don't seem so bad either, but that's just at first glance. I can't wait for the first challenge, unless I have to hurt any animals, this will be the best time of my life here at Nui Kaua."

End Confessional

* * *

"*Hissss*" The snake hissed at Nixia before slithering into the bushes.

"Hrm…" Nixia pouted. "I made friends with the monkeys, the flying squirrels, even that panther...but I can't charm a snake? That's new…"

The snake slithered through the bushes and past Evan who was looking through a bunch of plants, rather excitedly, on his own.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Woo eh! This reminds me that back in the forest I would stargaze before the nightly howl! This reminds me of my home forest! I'm so pumped up that I get to compete! My only problem? Human beings. They want to CUT DOWN my forest, believe it or not. They are home killers! But, you never know, I may make a few friends. Even so, I'm not going to be that nice guy that everyone gets along with I'm going to be that guy who goes out of his way to win! Elise, if you're watching, wish me luck!" Evan then let out a howl.

End Confessional

* * *

"Tiki clue, tiki clue, tiki clue…" He mumbled to himself. "I need to find one quickly...before everyone else gets one…"

He looked up and noticed that the sun was setting through the tropical trees.

"Maybe I should head back to camp though, or the leisure bonfire or something. It'll be dark soon."

He looked around and realized his mistake.

"Crap...I'm lost….I forgot that this isn't my home forest."

He trudged through some more bushes before he stumbled across Astral, sitting around a small ritual circle. Lina seemed to have just stumbled across the same sight.

* * *

Confessional: Astral: Honua

Astral had a ritual blade in her hand which she toyed with before looking at the camera. "I'm very happy that w-we get a free time before every challenge. It is that time that the sun and moon are in position and I can t-try to summon a demon." Astral traced the carvings on the knife's handle with her index finger and then held the knife up to the camera. "T-the demons seem to like my blood. I'll never clean the blade, but I'll come back later and it will be gone-don't worry though, I always wear gloves so I can do it anywhere."

End Confessional

* * *

Astral noticed that both Evan and Lina were staring at her and got up.

"Why are you here?"

"Did you g-get the invitation to Galiris's Team Honua party?" Lina asked in response. "I was wondering if you were gonna go. I am, since Deamian seems to be busy with his own team right now."

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Honestly, reading on the beach is perfect to me, and also finding bugs in the forest to add to my collection. I'd hoped I could hang out with Deamian but he might be to obsessive with the really pretty girl contestants, haha, he's always so outgoing. I wonder if he finds me pretty, haha-" Lina stopped and looked at the camera as her eyes widened. "Ok, delete that, delete that!"

*Static

"Anyways, I thought I would head back to camp through the forest since I could collect bugs, and I sort of accidentally ran into Astral doing...whatever it was that she was doing, and now I'm kind of scared of everything."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey…" Evan said. "Does either one of you know the way to the leisure bonfire pit? I could find my own way back to my team's cabin from there…"

"It's…..t-that way…" Astral pointed quietly.

"Th-thanks…" Evan left the two girls alone with a shudder. They were both a little too quiet for him.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Evan, Hayes, Stephanie_

Evan came into the cabin and took his shirt off while Clay and Hayes both seemed to be doing their own things on their respective bunks. He went to close the curtains to their side's window when he saw Stephanie looking through. She waved with a smile.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"This is so cool! I'm going to get an awesome tan this summer! And some of these guys…" She winks to the camera.

End Confessional

* * *

Evan opened the window.

"What are you doing peeping in on us like that? It's like we're prey or something, and I am not prey."

"Sorry, but what's a girl to do?" Stephanie replied. "She's living next door to four studs after all! Come on, you've got to at least understand my curiosity. Don't you ever wonder what you might see if you peeped into the girls' side of the cabin?"

"None of us would do that!" Hayes spoke up.

"Are you all saying that I'm not worth peeping on…" Stephanie pouted. "That's disheartening."

"You're putting us all in a very uncomfortable position, Stephanie." Clay said. "What do you want?"

"Well, I heard Honua was throwing a party, so I thought we could have our own little celebration."

"I like that idea." Hayes said, excited. "It'd help relieve tensions and all!"

"It's a cute idea in theory." Evan admitted. "But I'd prefer we keep everyone's heads in the game. We do have to win a challenge first thing tomorrow."

"Evan is right." Clay agreed. "Pleasantries are nice and all, but right now focus is what matters the most."

* * *

 _Location: Leisure Bonfire Pit_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Alice, Cassandra, Maddie, Steven, Galiris_

"You're strong." Aleister said to Cassandra. "And I'm strong, therefore…"

"There she is!" Cassandra said as she headed towards a large burning bonfire, where Alice, Steven, and Maddie were all sitting while Aleister followed behind her.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"So, I made it to TDNK, huh? That's great, should be awesome to finally get out of the house for a while. Hopefully Mom'll be more relaxed when I come back. Gotta admit, if these challenges are as brutal and as crazy as I've heard, not looking forward to'em. I mean, I'm sure many of them will be doable and kinda fun. I just hope they don't go too crazy. But whatever, should still be fun making a few new friends. Hopefully my team will be full of good, strong and friendly bros. All in all, I'm ready to take on this challenge, crash this party and show off my vocals to the world. You guys better be ready, cause I'm aiming for the mula."

End Confessional

* * *

"Burn, burn burn burn burn burnburn heheheheheheh…" Maddie giggled as she put more wood on the fire and it grew bigger.

"And what lyrics do you think we should put here?" Alice asked to Steven as they both looked over a journal clearly meant for writing songs.

"Well, the previous line is talking about your heart, so maybe we can try a rhythm joke or pun, like purposefully skip a beat in the music but keep the tempo the same…" Steven responded.

"Yeah, but do you have any lyrics?"

"Hey guys." Cassandra sat down next to them. "So you two are step siblings and both singers?"

"We're pretty big on youtube." Steven smiled. "We're known as the Orland StepSiblings."

"Are you also into music and singing?" Alice asked Cassandra.

"Oh, you bet!" Cassandra agreed. "But, my genre is more punk rock than pop...But still, it's the fellow appreciation of music that connects us as allies."

"I couldn't agree more." Alice giggled.

"Finally, I found the last one left!" Galiris walked up to Steven.

"We've got a Team Honua party about to start, and we'd all love for you to attend."

"But...Alice…" Steven turned to his stepsister.

"I could look after her if you need to head to your cabin." Cassandra offered. "You'd eventually both have to go separate ways once you had to go to sleep anyways, so whatever's worrying you, I think I can keep her safe from it, 'least 'when you are unable to anyway."

"Thank you." Steven smiled. "Maybe the three of us can attempt to perform together sometime." He said as he got up and turned to Galiris.

"And all of Honua is at this party."

"All of Honua will be once you walk me back to the cabin." Galiris giggled.

"Sounds like I get to arrive with the hostess. Lucky me." Steven chuckled. He waved goodbye to Alice, who waved back, before attempting to see if she and Cassandra could match pitch.

* * *

 _Location: Mess Hall_

 _Contestant(s): All_

The next morning, in the Mess Hall on the northern end of the island, The three teams all ate a breakfast of grey goop together, with contestants still intermingling.

"You there." Pierre said as he sat down across from Clay. "Silivia here happened across your meditation in the forest." He looked at his pet cobra. "Go on, darling, show him."

Silivia slithered onto the table and created a picture of an open scroll.

"That's an interesting read, you've got there." Pierre said. "I'd appreciate if you could share what it said with me."

"We're not on the same team." Clay replied. "And with the way you're acting, I don't like you enough to share anything with you."

"Well then…" Pierre said. "You've made your first mistake this game. Congratucelebrations."

Meanwhile, the entire Honua table was already eating like one big family.

"And so then I say to him…" Lucy said. "'I'm not here to fraternize with hotties!' The look on his face was _priceless_!" The rest of team Honua laughed.

Ka Malu O and Ka Lani both gave envious glares.

It appeared the party to boost morale had worked.

"Do I hear cheering and revelry?" Chris asked as he walked into the Mess Hall and everyone fell silent.

"That's _much_ better." Chris smiled, gleefully. "Campers, it's time for your first Total Drama Nui Kaua Challenge. Meet me outside and stand on your team's mats. I'll explain there.

* * *

 _*Outside*_

On Team Honua's mat stood Kaleaf, Lina, Steven, Lucy, Kevin, Astral, Zubin, and Galiris.

On Team Ka Malu O's mat stood Pierre, Julia, Sherwood, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Deamian, and Katrina.

On Team Ka Lani's mat stood Aleister, Nixia, Clay, Alice, Evan, Cassandra, Hayes, and Stephanie.

Chris smiled at the teams.

"Today...we'll be testing...how well you know both the island, and each other! We'll be playing Team Tag!"

"Team Tag?" Katrina asked.

"Yes, Team Tag." Chris replied. "Each Team will be given a different Team to tag. Ka Lani members will be chasing Ka Malu O, Ka Malu O members will be chasing Honua, and Honua members will be chasing Ka Lani. If you are tagged, you are out of the challenge. The first team to have all their members tagged will be facing elimination. The team with the most members remaining at the end will earn the right to watch. In the event of a tie, the team that was tagging the losers will watch instead. Of course, one member of that team and the other winning team will be sent to the Honeymoon Cabin until the next challenge instead. In addition, the player on each team that tags the most of their team's quarry will receive clues to Twist Tikis hidden somewhere on the island! Any questions?"

Hayes raised his hand.

"Is there a safe zone?"

"There is no safe zone." Chris shook his head. "But if you _want_ to be taken out of the challenge, just head to the docks and ring the wimp bell! That's where all the tagged contestants will gather as well, for convenience. Aside from that, you can consider the _entire island_ your battlefield. Any other questions?"

No one had any other questions.

"Alright then." Chris smiled. "You have 20 Seconds to run away from this starting point beginning….now! Run campers, run!" Chris cackled as Chef counted down from 20 menacingly. "If you're still here when time's up, Chef'll take out of the competition himself! Hahahahaaa…"

Chris turned to the camera.

"What fresh hell have we created with this cast? Even better, what fresh hell awaits them in their first challenge? Find out when we return...On Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!

* * *

 _Challenge: Team Tag_

 _Rules: Each Team is responsible for tagging every member of a separate team (Ka Lani tags Ka Malu O, Ka Malu O tags Honua, Honua tags Ka Lani). The team that has all its members tagged first is then sent to elimination, with the team with the most remaining players joining them as the first place team (The team that did the tagging in the case of a tie). The winning teams will then each vote to send someone on the other winning team to Honeymoon Cabin until the next challenge._

* * *

 _ **PROMPT: Please PM me your OCs….Tag Strategies (For instance, whether they'll focus more on tagging or hiding, whether they'll go after only one person, or anyone, or if they'll protect another player, or give up, or continue tiki hunting, etc.). Keep in mind that if you send it in Confessional format, it may not appear as a confessional and you'll just see your strategy in action. In addition, please send in any Confessional reactions that you specifically want your characters to have, whether it be to meeting another character or to experiencing an event or giving your opinions on the challenge! This is due by...let's say the 11th. Should be enough time since i'm not asking for much.**_

* * *

 _ **AN: Okay, First, this was really long, so from now on, I'll probably pick and choose the confessionals that I think fit best, so don't be surprised or take it personally if your confessional doesn't appear or anything.**_

 _ **Second, I hope I got everyone's OC(s) correct for the most part. If you feel the need to say anything about changing how they act, please send a PM about it (let's keep the reviews section for legitimate reviews)**_

 _ **Third, For Confessionals from now on, you can send in any confessionals you want, in reaction to whatever you want (provided it was something your OC(s) witnessed/experienced/heard about), but I may still ask for your particular character's reaction to certain events in PMs. I'll also ask you to have at least one Confessional per episode (note that this means you technically all don't need to react for the rest of New Nui Kaua Kampers, though you should)**_

 _ **Finally, please remember that Confessionals are PRIVATE. Only the OC giving the Confessional knows what the OC is saying in that confessional, understand? If an OC talks shit about another in the confessional, that other OC won't suddenly know about it. Please please please keep this in mind.**_

 _ **Thank you, and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter**_ **(^_^)** _ **!**_


	4. Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers(Challenge)

_**AN: This is like, half as long as the last one, and it's roughly the same length as a full Zero Sum episode. Anyways, please remember what I said from last time. Certain confessionals might not have made it in here, and certain other confessionals might have been altered to fit the situation they're said in (but the message behind them stays the same, don't worry I got you). But yeah. If you don't see a reaction you sent, don't worry about it.**_

* * *

 _Challenge: Team Tag_

 _Rules: Each Team is responsible for tagging every member of a separate team (Ka Lani tags Ka Malu O, Ka Malu O tags Honua, Honua tags Ka Lani). The team that has all its members tagged first is then sent to elimination, with the team with the most remaining players joining them as the first place team (The team that did the tagging in the case of a tie). The winning teams will then each vote to send someone on the other winning team to Honeymoon Cabin until the next challenge._

* * *

"We are currently half a minute into the challenge," Chris announced from a helicopter circling the island. "And each of the teams seem to be going about things differently. While Ka Lani members seem to have already split up and are all headed in different directions, both Ka Malu O and Honua seemed to have grouped together for some team meetings!"

* * *

*Ka Malu O Meeting*

"I'm telling you! We need to stick like this in groups and pick off the Honua one by one!" Dominique said, adamantly.

"Ridiculous." Katrina chided. "Moving in groups would only slow down the faster members and make us easier Ka Lani bait."

"Yeah, yeah!" Maddie agreed. "We need to run around and just tag whoever we can find, maybe set their clothes on fire a bit too and-"

"I wouldn't go _that_ far…" Katrina said as she blushed with Maddie's agreement. "My point is, we need to focus on not being found first. The team that _wins_ is the one with the most remaining players when the losing team is decided."

"If we're going to be hiding…" Julia mimicked Katrina's voice as she talked. She gestured towards Katrina and Deamian. "Perhaps the three of us could work together and set traps for the Honua members to walk into."

"No, I'm of a mind with Maddie." Deamian said. "Running around and tagging as much as possible is quite clearly the way to go. Isn't it my gothic beauty?"

"Ew, boy flirt, I said to stop doing that!" Maddie said as she took out a match and lit it. "Now hold still while I burn your hair okay? Hehehehehehehehehehehe…." And Maddie chased Deamian into the Nahele Forest.

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"Psssht. If I win this challenge, she'll totally want me. Tag for the win!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"I don't want an icky boyfriend! A super pretty girlfriend though? Hehehehehehehe of course I really really REALLY want that!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Deamian...I'll be honest right now...the guy is cute...but that's about it. He doesn't seem like someone I would hang with in the real world. He just seems more like the person I would be around to enjoy their company for the here and now moment."

End Confessional

* * *

"None of you have yet caught on to the most splendiferous way of completing this challenge." Pierre stated, capturing everyone's attention as Silivia coiled around his arm.

"Let us play the teams against each other. Ka Lani will run towards us but if we lead them towards a Honua member, they shall become tagged instead. At which point, we tag the Honua member. 'Tis a foolproof plotegy!"

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like an awesome plan!" Briand laughed. "I'm so gonna try that too!"

"Except when you're tagged by a fast Ka Lani member." Katrina said. "Forget all of you, I'll be hiding it out this challenge. Don't say I didn't warn you that it was important."

And with that, Katrina wandered off.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"It's guerilla warfare 101. You hide yourself, size up your enemy, hit them where it hurts, and then resume hiding. It doesn't take an IQ of 187 to figure that out. Just common sense."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Our chances of winning aren't that great. Team Ka Lani has got a freaking survivalist going after us as well as that girl...Nixon? No that's not it. Crap, I should have paid more attention to the campers other than my own team. All I know is, if she's like Dawn of season 4, then we're seriously at a disadvantage." Julia paused, then imitated Noah.

"To put it blatantly, we need to get rid of Honua first."

End Confessional

* * *

*Honua Meeting*

The only ones to have gathered thus far were Zubin, Lucy, Kevin, and Galiris.

"I sure do hope the others manage to find their way here." Galiris said as the four of them hid inside a small cave. "We need to go over our strategy as a team if we want to avoid capture completely."

"Speaking of strategies and teams…" Zubin said as he saw an opportunity. "I was thinking, Kevin, Lucy, Gal, if we could get one more person to join us, what would you guys say to what I'm sure would be a very beneficial alliance?"

"Yes." Kevin nodded. "An alliance is a very important part in the strategy of this game."

"You guys are cool in my book." Lucy shrugged. "So I don't mind."

"I love the boldness behind the statement." Galiris giggled. "But who's going to be our fifth?"

"I'm not sure yet…" Zubin said as nearby leaves began to rustle. "But maybe we can all meet up later and decide then. It sounds like someone else is here now."

"Whew." Steven turned to Lina and Astral, who were both following behind him incredibly quietly. "We've made it ladies. I've managed to successfully escort both of you beauties to our meeting space."

"T-thank you." Astral quietly thanked him while blushing.

Lina quietly giggled to herself as she agreed.

"Now all we need is Kaleaf." Zubin noted, bringing the girls' attention away from Steven and back to the matter at hand.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I have nothing against Steven, he seems like a really nice guy. He just flirts a lot and most of the girls seem to enjoy it, and while he might simply be doing it because he finds it fun, it's also something that he most certainly _could_ use to his advantage. Now, I'm not about to jump the gun and try to vote him off or anything like that, given how strong he looks, we might need him in challenges down the road, I'm just not quite sure I'd want him in the core alliance. Still though, that leaves three Honua members unaccounted for, and I'd like to spend as much time with them as possible this challenge."

End Confessional

* * *

"Yeah." Steven agreed. "He was following right behind us, so he should be here soon. He said he has a plan he wants to share with everyone."

"Oh?" Lucy raised a brow. "I'm interested to hear this plan, since I had one of my own I wanted to share."

"Well shit, as long as we're all admitting having thought up plans." Zubin shrugged. "I've got one too."

"Three plans." Galiris sat down on the ground as Kaleaf walked into the cave's vicinity.

"Ah!" Kaleaf said as he saw the rest of his team. "There you all are!"

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"父,私の幸運を祈ってください (Dad, wish me luck)" Kaleaf said proudly as he pulled a thumbs up before sticking his tongue out in a playful and childish manner.

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, here's my idea." Kaleaf said. "I think it would benefit us the most to split up into four pairs, right? So we can comb the island more quickly and we'll have someone with us to watch our backs."

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"And also so I can look for a scroll with the best balance of safety and lack of interference, but they don't need to know that, do they?"

End Confessional

* * *

"While the strategy sounds nice in theory," Zubin said. "The game is called Team Tag, not Blind Date Tag."

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"屎(Damn)..."

End Confessional

* * *

"I'd also have to disagree with that plan, Kaleaf" Lucy frowned. "I was thinking we could do a sort of wolf pack thing, where we all traveled together in a group. We'd be able to overwhelm our opponents on Ka Lani with numbers, and if we scattered when Ka Malu O spotted us, they wouldn't be able to tag any of us because of that old saying "If you chase two hares, you won't catch either one."

"Both of those involve too much movement and giving away of our position." Zubin said. "I believe our greatest chance of success comes from staying in the same general area, but also hiding in different locations and waiting to ambush passers by."

"So…" Galiris put her fingers to her lips. "Kaleaf wants to go in pairs, Zubin and Lucy both want to form larger groups, but Zubin wants to find a good space to hide, and Lucy wants to move around the island, focusing on one Ka Lani at a time. Do I have everything?"

"I believe so." Steven nodded. "Though Kevin, and the rest of you lovely ladies have all yet to weigh in."

Lina and Astral looked at each other.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Gosh, our first challenge. Due to my quietness, I'm probably a better hider…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Could…." Astral slowly rose her hand. "Could I maybe hide on m-my own?" She asked softly.

"I'm fine moving around the island, for the record." Steven said. "If it gives me a chance to see all the lovely ladies, I'll take it."

"I'll probably hide…" Kevin said. "But I wouldn't mind moving around to act as a bodyguard for those out in the open."

Galiris licked her lips before speaking again.

"Okay...I think I've got a good compromise."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"My favorite player from Zero Sum is for sure Helen, but my second favorite has to be Freya, so I'm trying to follow the former's example and find different ways to keep my team as unified as possible. That's what a good captain of a ship would do after all. I'm just a little more willing to...let loose...than she was, following the philosophy of the latter *giggle*."

End Confessional

* * *

"Astral, you can go ahead and find a place to hide." Galiris gave Astral and OK sign, and Astral creeped off into the forest.

She then turned to Zubin and Lina.

"Zubin, Lina, the two of you are hiders who want to stay put. I want you to follow Astral, and don't let her see you. From there, you'll be following Zubin's ambush method."

She turned to Zubin. "I really hope that works for you, does it?" She asked with a sigh.

"It's perfectly fine." Zubin adjusted his glasses.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"After all, it gives me the opportunity to learn more about both Lina and Astral."

End Confessional

* * *

Zubin turned to Lina. "Come on, we should follow after her."

Lina nodded and tagged along with Zubin as the two followed after Astral, making sure to keep their distance.

"Steven, Lucy, Kevin." Galiris said as she turned to them. "You three can all go embarking on Lucy's plan. Kevin, you can hide while you follow them if you wish."

"It's like he's a guard while we go on a date." Steven laughed towards Lucy.

"I already made it clear this morning." Lucy smiled. "That I'm not here to fraternize with hotties."

"Not even one who could serenade you with a multitude of songs at your leisure?" Steven asked as the three of them all walked off in a different direction than the other group.

Once they were gone, Galiris turned to Kaleaf and gave a great smile.

"And that makes us the couple that follows your plan!" She chimed. "Want to take a walk around the island with me? It'd make me really happy!"

"O-of course." Kaleaf said, blushing mildly. "Let's get going."

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"よかった! My plan worked~!" Kaleaf said happily pumping his fist in the air & then bringing it back down saying softly with a smile. "Well...Kind of, anyways. Now time to begin it."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Time into challenge: 3 Minutes_

 _Contestants left standing: Ka Lani: All, Ka Malu O: All, Honua: All_

"So, you had the same interview questions that I had right?" Galiris asked Kaleaf as they slowly walked through the outskirts of the forest, near the beach. "What was your favorite color?"

"I uh...I chose Lilac." Kaleaf said.

"Oooh~!" Galiris giggled. "I never would have guessed. I chose dark grey, like the stormclouds o'er a rough sea. Speaking of the sea by the way, thank you so much for fishing up that scrumptious dinner for the party last night!"

"D-don't mention it…" Kaleaf said. "If you want, maybe we could cook agemono for the team tonight?"

"Don't go makin' my mouth water like that durin' a challenge!" Galiris playfully chided. "I'd love to, but there's not a land in all the seven seas where Chef would let us use his deep fryer. We'll either be stuck with what his dinner is or with what we ate yesterday, unless you want to roast the food over the leisure bonfire. That might be a fun dinner. In any case though, let's win the challenge first 'k?" She winked.

Kaleaf wasn't sure how to react, but he was sure of why he wanted pairs in the first place. "Hey, I'm going to hang back a bit. You go a little further ahead, we'll cover more ground that way."

"Leaving a lady to make her own way like that." Galiris pouted. "This is not in my top 10 of dates i've been on." Nevertheless she pushed on ahead anyways, and Kaleaf began to search around.

"Come on, a tiki...a scroll...anything…" He mumbled. "Where the hell have you hidden these things, Chris?"

Kaleaf stopped himself, he noticed something, or rather, he noticed _someone_.

He summoned Galiris over to him and pointed.

"I'm telling you!" Aleister was talking to someone that neither Kaleaf nor Galiris could see.

"We'd be an excellent team, since we're both so strong!"

"Ooh! He's pretty cute." Galiris said quietly. "Let me see if I can't accidentally on purpose go for a butt-tag."

"Hang on, I found him, so I tag him!" Kaleaf said, rather irritated as he rushed passed Galiris and tagged Aleister before the poor guy had time to react.

"No!" He lamented. "I was ready to team up with him, and now he's gotten away because of the two of y-..."

He stopped as he saw Galiris's pouting face. "I-I'm really sorry we ruined your talk with your friend…" She sniffed.

"Oh, nonononononono! Don't cry! Please don't cry!" Aleister waved his hands. "Such a cute girl shouldn't cry and-" He cupped his hands.

* * *

Confessional: Aleister: Ka Lani

"Oh no! They've found out that I'm a big softie who likes cute and girly things! How will I keep up my image?"

End Confessional

* * *

"I-I mean…" Aleister picked up two pieces of mud and tossed it towards the two of them. "You're both weak! Take that!" He said before running towards the docks in order to wait behind the bell.

"What the ever loving fuck?" Kaleaf shouted as he began to storm off, Galiris hurrying behind him, trying to calm him down.

Evan, who was the person that Aleister had been talking to, waited until Kaleaf and Galiris were out of sight and earshot before he let out a sigh, revealing that he had blended himself into the maple tree he was leaning against.

He slouched down while he knew he was safe.

"That...was close. But damn it Aleister, why did you displace so much of that mud?

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Why is everyone here so cruel to nature? Nixia, well, she seems respectful to nature..." He says, then blushes. "Don't hate me for this but I'm okay with no luxuries whatsoever. I'm used to pain and hurt, I'm a defense master!" He exclaims as he makes a few punching motions. I guess it's good to be around my race, but I'm part wolf, part snake, part owl, part dog, part tiger, part rhino, etc etc. Trust me, no one's going to go down without a fight from me," he continues, making a scowl at a picture of Chris which he had for some reason.

End Confessional

* * *

Evan rested his hand on a groove in the tree, and accidentally knocked something out.

"Huh?" He wondered aloud. He sniffed the small wrapped package that he had picked up.

"Sawdust…" He mumbled. He then let out a huge gasp. "Could it be-?"

He quickly unwrapped the package to see a small tiki resembling a dove complete with a beak and soft wings on the sides, accompanied by a note from the Nui Kaua interns.

"No freaking way!" He laughed.

 **#TwistTikiFound**

"Holy shit, man…" Evan said to the cameraman filming him. "That's crazy, I can't believe it!."

He began to read the note.

"Congratulations, you have managed to find Twist Tiki #2: The Dove Tiki. This tiki is only playable by an ORIGINAL member of Team Ka Lani." Evan wiped some sweat off of his forehead. "Okay, phew. I can use this tiki. That's good." He returned back to the note. "This Tiki may only be played during an elimination ceremony. During an elimination ceremony, if The Dove Tiki is played, all remaining ORIGINAL Team Ka Lani members will receive immunity, and any votes cast against them will not count. Be smart in how, and when, you use it, since once you do, it's gone for good!-The interns..."

Evan looked into the camera with a wolf-like grin. "Man, you have no idea how much I've wanted to find one of these things. At the very least, I've got myself a free immunity with this guy. I suppose my team could use him too though, I guess."

* * *

 _Time Passed: 7 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:7, Ka Malu O: All, Honua: All_

"No!" Dominique tossed a rock back at Cassandra as she chased her through the jungles of the island.

"You're not gonna tag me, no way!" She hollered as she threw another rock.

Cassandra ran through the rocks, not flinching as they bounced off of her.

"You shan't ever lay a finger upon me or Salivia!" Pierre called to Stephanie and Alice, who were both chasing him with all their might.

"Pierre?" Dominique asked as she saw Pierre running towards her.

"Dominique!" Pierre replied. "Double back towards the coast! Silivia saw some Honua out there, and I need my predasuers to be eliminated!"

"No, Pierre don't do that!" Dominique rushed Pierre further inland. "I've got someone gaining on me too!"

"Cassandra!" Alice smiled.

"Hey Cassandra!" Stephanie chimed in. "How's it going so far?"

"Well, I haven't tagged her yet." Cassandra said. "But I'm about to!" She began to sprint and jumped towards Dominique.

Dominique looked in horror at the hand that had managed to grab her ankle.

"Damn it!" She stomped her other foot in frustration. "None of this woulda' happened if we just stuck with my wolfpack plan!"

"Fear not, Dominique!' Pierre flicked his hair. "For I shall glamorously lead all these Ka Lani towards a Honua tagger and-"

Pierre stopped as Hayes tapped his shoulder from a nearby bush.

"Heh. Got you." He said as he revealed himself."

"Hayes! That was amazing!" Alice ran up to him, cheering.

Hayes blushed. "I just...saw an opportunity." He said.

"You did an amazing job, stud!" Stephanie smiled. "Keep that up and I might have a prize in store for you."

Hayes blushed harder and laughed nervously, before slouching to the ground.

"Hayes?" Alice asked as she caught him as he fell.

"I might have…" Hayes said quietly. "Accidentally stepped on a snake."

Almost instinctively, everyone turned to Pierre.

"How dare you accuse Silivia of being his biter!" Pierre stood up as he dusted himself off. "I'll have you know that Silivia would never bite a human. She's been trained against such actions. It was likely a random tropical snake!"

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"The Nui Kaua Pouli Nahesa, or 'Darkness Snake' is indigenous to lake Nui Kaua. It's an amphibious species of snake whose venom, although not lethal, is quite numbing to the point where a single bite can make the average man incredibly lethargic for up to three whole weeks. So yeah, Hayes won't be tagging anyone else this challenge, that's for sure."

End Confessional

* * *

After the three Ka Lani members had left along with the two Ka Malu O who had been tagged, Evan let out another sigh.

"Looks like this disguise is working rather well." He mumbled, relieved.

"Dude…" The intern behind the camera said. "Why didn't you say hi to any of your teammates?"

"I'm still judging their character." Evan replied with a growl. "Now shush, or you'll blow my cover."

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Aleister seems like a tough guy, I can respect that, but he'll kill me. Clay seems reserved like me, so he's earned my trust, sorta. Nixia has also sorta earned my trust due to her love for nature. Stephanie... She's too peppy! But it's a cheerleader so I'm not shocked. Alice, well, I'm still not sure about her. Cassandra, ugh, she is one who wants to cut down my home forest, I just know it. Hayes, I feel bad for the guy, overshadowed his whole life. Can't help but feel bad….Dammit, I forgot what I was going to say next! Oh yeah, you won't be getting anything from me for a while!"

End Confessional

* * *

Evan gasped as he saw Katrina slowly moving through the forest, crouching behind a bush, not paying any attention to him.

He crept up behind her as slowly and silently as possible.

"Got you!" He said as he laid a hand on Katrina's shoulder.

Katrina sighed. "That's just fucking great." She headed towards the docks.

* * *

 _Time Passed: 12 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:7, Ka Malu O:5, Honua:All_

"Where did he go?" Maddie asked as she picked up a leaf and set it on fire with a match before tossing the leaf into a nearby stream. "I just want to burn his hair off...maybe also his clothes, heheheee."

"I'm telling you, I heard something over this way." Lucy said to Steven as they, aided by a hidden Kevin, began to head towards Maddie.

Maddie's black lips parted into a smile as she pounced on the group.

"Hehehehehehehe Tag! Tag!" She lunged for Lucy, who was the closest one to her.

Kevin jumped out from behind his bush, and took the tag, allowing Steven to take Lucy by her hand and escape from the area.

"Oh, poo…" Maddie kicked up some dust. "They got away." She lit a match and faced Kevin.

"Hey, where are they going? If you don't want your hair burned off, you should tell me!"

Kevin gulped.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Maddie is kind of scary."

End Confessional

* * *

"Keep running!" Steven said to Lucy as Lucy tore her hand away. "Work those beautiful legs like you've never worked them before!"

"No duh!" Lucy replied.

"Crap!" Cassandra's voice was heard coming from nearby. "I hear Honua! Quick, take him and go!"

"Sorry about this, hot stuff." Steven said as he rushed towards the noise and tagged Cassandra.

"But we all have to do what we have to do, right?"

"I suppose so." Cassandra sighed, relieved that she had managed to send Alice, Stephanie, and Hayes on their way before Steven and Lucy had gotten there.

* * *

 _Time Passed: 18 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:6, Ka Malu O:5, Honua:7_

"A-and so I f-found myself here on Total Drama, because it tends to show people's real colors." Lina explained to Zubin quietly as they hid in various places overlooking the Honeymoon Cabin.

Astral had managed to find a dark hole in the ground to hide out in, so Lina and Zubin both chose hiding spots where they could communicate with Astral if they needed her to run away or to stick her hand out and tag anybody.

* * *

Confessional: Astal: Honua

"T-this spot is perfect. I hope no one f-finds me."

End Confessional

* * *

"I see." Zubin said. "That's an interesting reason to sign up, wanting to learn about your own real colors and all. I-." he stopped himself. "Shh. People are coming."

"Please don't tag me yet!" Deamian pleaded as Alice set Hayes down by the tree Zubin was hiding in, and began to run after Deamian. "I haven't even found Lina yet!"

"Deamian?!" Lina asked, confused.

"Shh!" Zubin reminded her as he gently tagged Hayes.

"I just want to know why he's looking for me, specifically…" Lina said.

"You two knew each other before the show right?" Zubin asked.

Lina nodded. "He's my best friend. I didn't expect him to sign up along with me, but here he is."

Zubin fixed his glasses.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"If he followed her all the way out friggin' Nui Kaua, then there's only one explanation that makes any sense. Deamian's got it _bad_."

End Confessional

* * *

"Sorry! Cute as you are, I'm not going to let you run away like that." Alice replied as she tagged Deamian, leaped over Astral's hole, and ran into the forest and around to go get Hayes, who slowly explained that he had been tagged and was going to make his way back to the docks. Deamian eventually caught up to him and offered to help.

"Astral…" Zubin said. "Why didn't you tag Alice?"

"H-huh?" Astral asked as she looked up and noticed Zubin in a tree.

"Zubin? What are y-you doing here?" She asked softly.

"Lina and I are watching over you." Zubin said. "To make sure no Ka Malu O gets you."

"T-thank you for t-that." Astral quietly thanked Zubin. "Sorry about e-earlier too. I didn't t-tag her because I thought s-she was on the o-other team. And h-hiding is more i-important in this game."

* * *

 _Time Passed: 20 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:5, Ka Malu O:4, Honua:7_

"Heeheehee!" Maddie giggled as she caught up to Steven and Lucy as they headed towards the coast of the island. "Tag!" She laughed as she pounced on Lucy, this time unobstructed by any hidden Honua members.

"Crap." Lucy sighed.

"Please don't frown, pretty girl!" Maddie pleaded. She hopped off of Lucy and began to look for Steven, who was running towards Kaleaf and Galiris, who seemed to be running away from someone else.

"Steven!" Kaleaf called. "We're being chased!"

"Same!" Steven called back.

"Alright then." Galiris said. "How about, when we all meet up with each other, we all head in different directions, our chasers won't be able to take all three of us! We turn towards the woods and spread out on three! One…"

Steven noticed Briand was the chaser that Kaleaf and Galiris were referring to.

"Two…"

Maddie began to run even faster as Briand did the same.

"Three!" Galiris said as she sprinted towards the woods, Steven following close behind, and Kaleaf after them.

"Got you!" Briand laughed as he jumped onto Kaleaf.

"Whew…" Galiris said once she was sure that she and Steven were safe for the time being.

"I suppose we've both lost our groups now haven't we? Good luck singer-stud!' She winked before she ran off into the forest alone.

* * *

 _Time Passed: 22 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:5, Ka Malu O:4, Honua:5_

"Got you." Zubin said as he quickly tagged Stephanie after he jumped out of his tree.

"How bold of you." Stephanie smiled coyly as she looked to where Zubin had tagged her.

Zubin quickly took his hand off of Stephanie's butt.

"That was a coincidence, I'm sorry." He said.

"Zubin…" Lina said from up in her own tree as Zubin walked off. "Where are you going?"

"It's pretty late into the challenge." Zubin reasoned. "I'm fairly certain most of the people we as Honua still want to tag are hiding, and I don't know how many of our taggers are still out there."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"And I also want to look unobstructed for a Tiki or perhaps a member of Ka Lani that I can start making inroads with for future insurance, just in case."

End Confessional

* * *

As Zubin walked off, he unknowingly passed by Nixia, who was hiding in her own tree, surrounded by various animals she had befriended on the island, helping hide her image.

"Wait a minute…" Nixia looked in a different direction.

"Is that-?"

In the direction Nixia was looking, Julia was scurrying through the forest.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Damn it! I can't find my other teammates, the challenge is coming to a near close, and I'm a sitting duck in here. Remember, Chris said there are NO safe zones, meaning I'm screwed if I stay much longer! Ugh, come on Julia. Keep calm, and evaluate the situation." She stayed quiet for a couple of moments until panic rose once again. "I can't! I'm useless alone. This really looks bad; if I'm the last of my team, then its over for us: we'll lose. I don't want to vote anyone from our group right now. Including Deamian, which is saying a lot!" With that, Julia slowly open the door of the confessional, looked both ways before dashing towards the Mess Hall.

End Confessional

* * *

As Julia sprinted towards the Mess Hall, a large panther jumped in front of her path.

"Sorry." Nixia said as she jumped off the panther and put a hand on Julia "But I think I'm supposed to tag you."

* * *

 _Time Passed: 30 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:4, Ka Malu O:3, Honua:5_

"Chef, quick, get the cameras ready!" Chris exclaimed excitedly as the aerial view showed many of the remaining contestants all gathering in one area. "We're about to see a Tag Royale go down right now!"

"Heeheheheheheheheheee!" Maddie giggled as she finally tagged Steven. "Finally!"

"Tag." Evan moved forward from his tree and tagged Maddie.

"Aha, so _that's_ where you were!" Galiris said as she tagged Evan.

"Whooo!" Briand rushed up behind Galiris and tagged her.

"And...tag." Alice said as she put a hand on Briand's shoulder, to catch her breath.

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"And with that, there's only Sherwood left to find. I'm going to look for Clay and Nixia, since they're my remaining teammates and see if we can't cover enough ground to look for him. But I haven't seen either one of them since the challenge started…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Time Passed: 31 Minutes_

 _Contestants Left: Ka Lani:3, Ka Malu O:1, Honua:3_

Clay made sure that no one was looking as he climbed back up to the top of Mt. Immolate.

"Bonfire pit, bonfire pit…" He headed towards the Po'ino Bonfire pit, and noticed the small package hidden among the logs.

"Yes, yes yes!" He said as he quickly took out the package and unwrapped it, revealing the Legacy Tiki that he was looking for.

 **#TwistTikiFound**

The tiki itself was very small and could fit in the palm of Clay's hand. It depicted the finalists of every season of Total Drama thus far, from TDI all the way up to Zero Sum.

"First thing's first…" Clay took out his Legacy Tiki clue and quietly set fire to it with a match before putting the ashes into the bonfire pit.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"YES! THAT'S THE WAY WE F***ING ROLL, LONER IS BACK ON TOP!

Not only is this bad boy mine now, but I was able to get rid of the clue so when Pierre challenges me and says I did this I can prove him wrong. First thing I'm doing with this is hiding it in my guitar case after the challenge, but for now I'm putting this in the inside pocket of my biker jacket since nobody will ever think to look there and because I carry all of my guitar picks there so I can hide it among those.

This still doesn't change the fact that I need to make some inroads with my teammates. Contrary to my stereotype, I know that working with others is the key to prolonged success in this game which means an alliance is necessary. I'm just worried that they'll hurt me like others have done to me in the past. Guess the only way to find out is to start slowly opening up to them. Maybe a few of my songs would do the trick? Anyway worry about that later, I need to whip this challenge's a** so my entire team can stay here another few days. Let's do this!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Congratulations," Clay read off the note to the cameraman intern who was following him around. "You've found Twist Tiki #7: The Legacy Tiki. If you are still in possession of this Tiki in the Final 3, you'll gain a massive advantage in the penultimate challenge, so do your best to stay in the game! If you are voted out before the Final 3, you MUST will this Tiki over to another contestant. Good luck!

-The interns"

"Hungh…" Clay heard someone ascending the mountain, so he quickly put the tiki in the inside pocket of his biker jacket.

Zubin ascended to the top of the volcano.

"I know I'm faster than you are." Clay said. "Don't try to tag me."

"I was simply curious as to what you were doing all the way up here." Zubin said. "There's only one Ka Malu O left and you won't be able to see him from way up here. The canopy of the forest is too dense."

"So...you aren't going to tag me?"

"As a sign of good faith, no. I'm not." Zubin replied. "I would like, however, to know what it is you were doing up here."

"To be honest." Clay said. "I thought I saw Sherwood up here, which is why I climbed the volcano in the first place."

Zubin sighed, having caught on to what Clay had been doing. "Alright then. I guess if that's all you were doing, I'll head back and find a spot to hide while you go tag Sherwood."

Clay relaxed a little.

"You mean...you aren't going to tag me?"

"No. I'm not." Zubin answered honestly. "Not even going to try. Not because I think I can't but because I stopped you and asked you a bunch of questions that you appear to think I had no business asking. I won't tag you for the remainder of the challenge, but you should know that I might not be able to convince the rest of my team to do the same."

"Well...that's really cool of you man." Clay nodded with a smile. "I'd shake hands but, you know, challenge and all that."

"Wouldn't that be a way to go?" Zubin chuckle along as he gave a similar nod before heading down the mountain. "Good luck to you."

"You too."

* * *

 _Time Passed: 45 minutes_

 _Contestants Remaining: Ka Lani:3, Ka Malu O:1, Honua:3_

Astral was holding her breath in.

Sherwood was snooping around the Honeymoon Cabin, and it was only a matter of time before he found the hole she was hiding in.

Lina noticed some rustling in the trees.

Clay was coming their way.

Lina kicked a rock down and it landed at Clay's feet.

He looked up.

Lina pointed to Sherwood.

Clay noticed, and nodded.

He sprinted forward and tagged Sherwood.

"There we go! Challenge over!" He cheered.

"Challenge over!" Chris smiled as a tear fell from his eye. "The Challenge is...is finally over!"

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Docks_

 _Contestant(s): All_

"All right…" Chris said as the campers all gathered together. "A special congratulations to Nixia, Clay, Alice, Lina, Astral, and Zubin. You six all managed to survive the entire game of Team Tag. Bragging rights for the lot of ya! Now, because the amount of remaining contestants on both Ka Lani and Honua _was_ a tie, the team that did the tagging of Ka Malu O will be declared the official winners...so...congratulations Team Ka Lani! You have come in first! Honua, you're second. And Ka Malu O...you guys get squat, except a group date with me tonight at the Po'ino Bonfire. Do as much as you can before then to ensure that you're not the one going home. Alright, now get out of here and scheme your hearts away my vict- I mean _players_."

Ka Malu O left the docks.

Chris turned to Ka Lani and Honua.

"Now, Ka Lani, Honua, the time has come. Time to choose one person from the other team to send to Honeymoon Cabin _alllllll_ the way until the start of the very next challenge."

The two teams both huddled together for about a minute before turning to face Chris. "Have your choices ready?" Chris asked as Chef pulled up on a large truck carrying a pink heart-shaped bed.

"Ka Lani, who from Honua is heading to Honeymoon?" Chris asked.

"Steven." They said.

Steven shrugged and sat on the bed.

Chris turned to Honua.

"Alright Honua, who from Ka Lani will be joining Steven in the Honeymoon Cabin?"

"Aleister." The rest of Honua replied.

Aleister resisted as Chef picked him up and dropped him on the heart-shaped bed.

"I suppose we'll be the first to see the inside of this cabin." Steven said to Aleister before he turned to Cassandra. "Please look after Alice while I'm gone!"

"No probs." Cassandra replied as Chef carted Steven and Aleister off.

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"Okay, so I had my interns privately hand those Tiki clues to the contestant(s) on each team that tagged the most of their quarry. And I think things might already start to be interesting tonight Hahaaa…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"So...I got a clue to the whereabouts of the Dove Tiki, but from what the clue told me, it sounds like someone on my team already has it? So that's sucky."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"So, apparently tagging two people suddenly makes me a power player on my team." Zubin said as he took out his clue and read it. "'Congratulations, Zubin! For being the Honua member to tag the most Ka Lani, you have been given a clue to the whereabouts of Twist Tiki #4 the Maple Tiki!?' Holy shit, I was just trying not to get caught and hope Ka Malu O got taken down. I never expected to be the high scorer for my team. I mean, look at this!" He raises his hands and twists his body around. "This is not the body of an athlete!"

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"'The Maple Tiki may be used only by an ORIGINAL member of Team Honua (like yourself, for example), and may only be played during an elimination ceremony. When this tiki is played, only the votes of ORIGINAL Team Honua members are counted towards the vote total.'"

Zubin looked directly at the camera. "Now for the clue."

"'Whether it's for protection or sneaky back stabbin', you'll find Twist Tiki 4 inside your Team's…blank...' …'Cabin' should be the last word, I guess?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

Maddie first paraphrases her note. "Twist Tiki #3, The Bat Tiki! Only playable by an ORIGINAL Ka Malu O member during an elimination ceremony. When it's played, the player gains an extra vote for each remaining Ka Malu O member in the game. So, if you were to find and play it the first time you went to elimination, it would give you 8 extra votes. It can be very powerful, but it is only usable once."

Maddie then read off the clue.

"Walk on the living, they don't even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble."

She then smiled at the camera.

"Kyahahahahaha! At last is my time to shine! I have a clue... THE clue! Now I only need to burn all the fallen leaves to find the tiki! *giggle* Even for me that was pretty obvious! I first thought "it's the fire!" But then I realized that the fire don't grumble when you walk on it! So I get it! The answer is the leaves that have already fallen from the trees!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre, Julia, Dominique, Katrina, Briand_

* * *

Confessional: Briand: Ka Malu O

"Well that sucks that we loss. I'm actually starting to freak out. If I got any chance on staying, I need to get a friend or two to help even the odds of the votes. Probably Julia and Dominique can help, maybe Pierre."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey…" Briand, Dominique, and Julia all said to Pierre at the same time.

Pierre was dumbfounded.

"Have I already become famous? I knew it was a matter of time, but to think my glamorous appeal has reached you all so suddenly and-"

"Pierre…" Julia whispered, mimicking him. "I was thinking we form a fantabulous alliance between the two of us and Katrina, keeping her around via threat to vote her off because of unlikability."

"Oooh, such a glamorous mind you must have for you to have also thought to team up with me." Pierre smiled as Silivia coiled around him. "But I would also like to extend my offer towards Dominique, for four votes are much better than three!"

"If we're going by numbers…" Briand said. "I'd like to get in on this alliance too please, because then we'll have enough to control the team."

"Ooh, yeah, I'm likin' this plan already." Dominique smiled as she gave Briand a high five and Pierre and Julia nodded at each other.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I honestly can't believe how in synch we all were after losing the challenge, especially when before it stated, no one was agreeing to anything. Funny how things happen like that."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"I was ready to tug at emotional strings if I had to, but it looks like in a crisis, these people can keep their heads relatively calm. We only need to keep Katrina around for the numbers really. I wish it could be someone else, but we have the most leverage over her."

End confessional

* * *

"I hope you guys all know…" Katrina said. "That Sherwood came out of hiding to snoop around Honeymoon, and that's exactly what lost us the challenge. Or at least, what contributed the most to it."

"Man I really don't like her." Briand whispered to Dominique.

"Same." Dominique agreed.

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Maddie, Deamian, Lina_

"Lina!" Deamian said as he noticed Lina collecting bugs. "There you are. How's it going?"

"F-fine…" Lina replied softly as Maddie searched desperately through leaf piles away from both of them. Before finally picking up a small package and skipping off gleefully.

 **#TwistTikiFound**

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"I found it! I found it! Look, see how it looks like a Bat? I did it! I found the Bat Tiki!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I just wanted to spend some time with you." Deamian said. "Just in case...I...you know."

"I don't think they'll vote you off." Lina laughed. "You're funny and charming and pretty good at getting out of trouble."

"I know, but I didn't perform today as well as I would have liked...Listen, Lina-!"

He took Lina by surprise, spun her around and grabbed her hands with his own. He looked into her eyes. "No matter what happens, I want you to try your best to win this game, because I'll always be supporting you. After all I-"

"Deamian?!" Lina gasped as she blushed heavily.

"I-.." Deamian was about to finish his sentence when a loud

 ***BEEEEEP***

Interrupted him.

"Attention all present Ka Lani and Ka Malu O. Please join me at the top of Mt. Immolate for your first elimination ceremony!"

"I need to go…" Deamian said as he ran off.

"Deamian…" Lina said.

* * *

Confessional: Sherwood: Ka Malu O

"I was ready to join an alliance of anyone who came up to me, but no one did. Perhaps not socializing wasn't the best idea in the world. Hopefully it's not me going home tonight."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"As far as I can tell, the three most at risk of going home tonight are Sherwood, Katrina, and Deamian. I personally want Deamian to go the most, but Katrina seems like she wants to vote Sherwood, and I understand where she's coming from. And then there's the fact that Katrina herself isn't very likable. That should never be underestimated."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire (Elimination Ceremony)_

 _Contestant(s): Nixia, Clay, Alice, Evan, Cassandra, Hayes, Stephanie, Pierre, Julia, Sherwood, Maddie, Briand, Dominique, Deamian, Katrina_

Chris smiled. "Welcome, Ka Lani winners, Ka Malu O losers. Let's begin Nui Kaua's very first Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony!"

He turned to the camera.

"After this commercial break." He winked.

* * *

 _ **AN: Alright, Ka Malu O contestants only, please send me in your votes. If you wish to play a Twist Tiki or an Immunity Tiki now would be the time to do so. There is no due date, just send them to me in a PM when you are done reading the chapter.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading everyone**_ **^.^!**


	5. Ep 1: New Nui Kaua Kampers(Elimination)

_**AN: Thank you, everyone, for voting! Your votes have been tallied and a result has been reached! Don't worry. Your votes will remain private unless so specifically state them in a confessional later. If you would like to make this as atmospheric as possible, I recommend listening to the Tribal Council Theme Song while reading. It's what I was listening to while writing anyways.**_

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire(Elimination Ceremony)_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Winners/Watchers: Nixia, Clay, Alice, Evan, Cassandra, Hayes, Stephanie_

 _Losers: Pierre, Julia, Sherwood, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Deamian, Katrina_

"Alrighty, no reason to beat around the bush." Chris said. "I think your loss of the challenge, Ka Malu O come from your lack of being able to form a coherent plan."

"It wasn't lack of being able to form a plan." Katrina remarked. "It was a lack of others being willing to accept _my_ plan."

"You know?" Dominique stood up.

"Of course I know." Katrina stood up. "I have an IQ of 187, which I'm sure is 3 times as much as everyone else's on this team, maybe even more in _some_ people's cases."

The Ka Lani contestants all looked at each other.

"Is this team for real?" Stephanie whispered to Clay.

"It certainly shows why they lost…" He whispered back.

"Deamian." Chris said. "How do _you_ feel about today's challenge and loss?"

"I think it went really poorly, Chris." Deamian answered. "A lot of us seemed focused on other things and because of that, we let our team down. I wouldn't be too surprised if I was the one going home tonight. So far, I'll I've really done is flirt with the ladies, and there's more to me than that, but I haven't been able to prove that yet."

Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Maddie." Chris noticed. "You rolled your eyes just now."

"He's been going after me the most, even though I kept telling him that I like pretty girls and not boys." Maddie crossed her legs. "He's lucky he was fast enough that I couldn't set his hair on fire."

"I...see." Chris said.

He turned to Sherwood.

"Sherwood, buddy, no one saw any sign of you until the end of the challenge, when you could have just as easily remained hidden wherever you were and you might have not been found."

"I wanted to check out the Honeymoon Cabin." Sherwood replied. "I didn't think there would be people there. It seemed too obvious."

"And please elaborate on why you went to the cabin in the first place." Pierre requested as Silivia coiled up in his lap.

"Yes." Julia mimicked Pierre. "I'm sure we all would like to hear your reasoning."

"Especially since you cost us this challenge." Katrina scoffed.

"But he was the last one left…" Evan whispered. "Wouldn't that make him their best hider?"

"I don't know what's going on with them." Nixia responded. "But I'm just glad we aren't sitting up there."

"Chris said that whoever could solve the secret of Honeymoon Cabin would find two Twist Tikis." Sherwood responded. "But I don't ever recall him saying that you needed to be _inside_ the cabin to figure out its secret."

"Hey, would you look at that?" Chris asked rather quickly as the contestants turned their heads towards him. "It's time to vote! Go on! Go vote, now, please!"

He turned to Chef.

"And make sure no one tampers with anything. I don't want another Harold revenge plot to spur another Courtney lawsuit against us. We only just got our funding back."

Chef grinned as he followed a rather disturbed looking Julia to a nearby stand where she wrote down the name of the person she was voting for and put it in a jar.

Next up was Sherwood.

Then Pierre.

Then Dominique.

Then Katrina.

Then Deamian.

Then Briand.

And finally, Maddie wrote down her vote, and slowly walked back to her stone seat near the bonfire pit.

"I'll go look at the votes." Chris said as he walked over to the jar of votes.

A long minute of silence save for the cicadas crying throughout the jungle below the volcano followed.

The Ka Malu O contestants all looked around at each other with glances of nervousness or distrust.

Chris slowly returned with the jar of votes.

"All right." He said. "I've tallied the votes. We will now begin the handing out of leis. If you wish to play an Immunity or elimination specific Twist Tiki, now is the time.

Pierre stroked Silivia.

Julia's stare intensified.

Katrina adjusted her glasses.

Briand began to shiver.

Maddie stretched and crossed her legs.

"All right." Chris said. "If I call your name, come up and receive a lei of your favorite color from this bag." He held up a bag filled with leis.

"If you do not receive a lei, you will be asked to take the Hang Glider of Shame _off_ of the island and give up all hope at winning any money off of this show!"

He smiled.

"Our first lei goes to...Dominique." He said.

Dominique let out a sigh of relief and walked up to take a bright blue lei out of the bag.

"Next up…" Chris smiled. "Briand."

"Yes." Briand fist pumped as he rushed up to the bag and took out a yellow lei, which he put around his neck as he stood next to Dominique.

"Pierre." Chris announced.

"But of course." Pierre said as Silivia slithered up to his shoulders while he walked up to Chris and reached into the bag to pull out a maroon lei, which he put around both his and Silivia's necks.

"The next lei goes to…" Chris paused.

"Maddie."

"Hehehe! Yay!" Maddie skipped up and reached into the bag, pulling out a standard blue lei. "Safe!"

"Julia." Chris announced. Julia let out a huge relaxed breath as she walked up to Chris, reached into the bag, and pulled out a dandelion lei which she put around her neck.

"And Katrina." Chris smiled.

"Obviously." Katrina rolled her eyes as she walked up and grabbed her silver lei out of the bag.

"Glad to see this team still has at least _some_ fuckin' sense in their heads somewhere."

"Deamian, Sherwood…" Chris said to the final two Ka Malu O to have yet to receive a lei. "There is only one lei left in this bag, and let me tell you, _man_ this vote was close. Like, it was really freaking close."

Deamian and Sherwood looked at each other nervously.

"But…" Chris said. "The final lei of the night goes to…"

He reached into the bag.

Deamian and Sherwood both leaned in.

Chris opened his mouth and took a breath.

All the contestants tensed up.

"Deamian." Chris said as he pulled out a sunset orange lei and tossed it at Deamian.

He turned to Sherwood.

"Not too surprised." He said. "This is a social game dude, and you seemed to go out of your way to avoid socializing. The Hang Glider of Shame awaits."

"Sherwood, wait!" Pierre and Julia both ran up to him as he put his hands on the rail of the Hang Glider.

"What did you discover when you went to the cabin?" Pierre asked as Julia nodded fervently.

"I think that there might be-" Sherwood began to respond.

"Time's up." Chef smiled as he pushed Sherwood off the volcano and the Hang Glider of shame caught a breeze. Chef turned to Pierre and Julia. "Didn't want him to miss the breeze." He said with a knowing grin.

"Alright, Ka Malu O." Chris said as the team of now seven regrouped. "It's time you headed back to camp and got some sleep. It's a free day for you tomorrow. I suggest you work on some team building!"

Chris turned to the camera. "That trainwreck ought to get us some good ratings." He whispered.

"Ka Lani." He turned towards Team Ka Lani. "Enjoy the look you got into the Ka Malu O team tonight. Try to use that information to your advantage if you can. I suggest you head back too, it's getting late."

As the contestants headed back down Mt. Immolate to their campsites, Chris turned to the camera.

"And with that, we've eliminated our first contestant, but we still have 23 to go! Will Ka Malu O get their act together? What will Steven and Aleister find inside Honeymoon Cabin? Who will become the fifth member of Zubin's majority alliance? Find out all that and more! Next Time!

On Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!

* * *

 _ **AN: Alright! I hope you guys liked that! Elimination portions are almost always going to be shorter than the other two portions of each chapter. Now, I want everyone to send me their Free Time plans and any Confessionals they want to state by next Sunday! That's November 20th for those who want an actual date (speaking of dates, if you have any specific OC you want your own to start romantically pursuing, you can PM me and let me know that, otherwise they'll pursue my default choice for them).**_

 _ **Sherwood, I specifically want a Final Confessional from you, basically stating your thoughts about your experience in the game and on being eliminated. I would prefer it if you wrote it out as soon as you could after reading this chapter. Examples of Final Confessionals can be seen at the end of my Zero Sum fic Episodes if you need help thinking of what to say.**_

 _ **And with all that out of the way, Thank you all for reading**_ **^.^!** _ **I can't wait to start the next Episode!**_


	6. Sherwood's Final Confessional

*Sherwood's Final Confessional:

"Well...that happened. I thought I'd at least make it to the merge. But alas, no such luck. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get brought back?" He paused and chuckled to himself. "As if. Well, I guess all I can do is hope Deamian and Katrina get eliminated as soon as possible. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed with how things went, but in a way, not entirely surprised. Perhaps in an All-Star season, I'll have better luck. Unfortunately, until then, I'll be waiting for a loss on the part of those to obnoxious twats."

End Confessional*


	7. Ep 2: Creative Differences (Free Time)

_**AN: Thank you to everyone that submitted their OC's plans on time. If you didn't/couldn't that's okay. I'm not going to do anything for missing one or two deadlines. That said, this chapter has an example of what happens when you completely ignore all the deadlines and don't send in any plans for your OC. So don't end up like the example.**_

* * *

 _*Chris's Recap_

"Last Time! On Total Drama Nui Kaua….!

We met 24 brand spankin' new campers, and boy weren't they...something?

My interns had already divided them into three teams of eight based on their answers to some key questions hidden amongst others in their interviews.

Team Ka Lani, the Heaven Team, consisted of Aleister, Nixia, Clay, Alice, Evan, Cassandra, Hayes, and Stephanie.

Team Ka Malu O, the Hell Team, consisted of Pierre, Julia, Sherwood, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Deamian, and Katrina.

Finally, Team Honua, the Earth Team, consisted of Kaleaf, Lina, Steven, Lucy, Kevin, Astral, Zubin, and Galiris.

While Ka Lani and Honua contestants managed to get along rather well with their teammates, Ka Malu O was off to a...rocky start…

Sherwood did nothing but kept to himself the entire time before the first challenge and Deamian managed to upset most of the girls on his team with his flirting, but it was Katrina, the unhealthily thin brainiac, that pissed her team off the most with her constant 'better than you' attitude.

Over in Ka Lani territory, Clay had received a clue to the location of The Legacy Tiki, which gives the holder a remarkable advantage in the final 3 and the penultimate challenge. While reading his clue, he was caught by Silivia, Pierre's pet snake.

Cassandra and Alice bonded as fellow musicians, and Stephanie peeped on the boys' side of the cabin.

On Honua's side of things, multiple contestants already had a set game plan. Zubin and Kevin began playing strategy right out of the bat as they went around the team to introduce themselves and give good first impressions. Galiris spent the day introducing herself to others as well, in order to invite them to a welcome party she had planned for morale. Steven sought out a suitable protector for his stepsister Alice in Cassandra, Astral attempted to summon a demon, and then night fell.

The first challenge was a game of Team Tag, where each team was responsible for tagging all members of a separate team!

While Ka Malu O and Honua both met up beforehand to talk about strategy, with...varying levels of success…, Ka Lani immediately split into groups or went off on their own and rushed into the large forest.

Clay managed to find his Legacy Tiki and burn his scrolls just in time for Zubin to arrive and ask what he was doing.

Evan stumbled upon the Dove Tiki during the challenge but Alice's clue as a reward for tagging more Ka Malu O than the rest of her team reflected this update.

Maddie was nearly unstoppable in this challenge, managing to tag three Honua members single handedly, earning her a clue to the Bat Tiki, which she later found.

In the end, this challenge's big losers were Ka Malu O, due to their poor teamwork and constant bickering, Steven and Aleister were sent to The Honeymoon Cabin, and the rest of Ka Lani got to watch Ka Malu O argue with each other at the first Po'ino Bonfire Ceremony of the Season.

Although Katrina and Deamian had both ruffled plenty of feathers, in the end, it was Sherwood, the Standalone Guy who lived up to his name and stayed alone, who was given the boot and became the first contestant to take the Hang Glider of Shame off of the island. 23 are left, but someone's time is about to run out. Stay tuned to find out whose. On Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

* * *

 _Location: Western Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Cassandra_

It was early in the morning, the sun had only just barely begun rising. Clay walked to a clearing in the forest, far, far away from where the team cabins were located so that he wouldn't wake anyone up, and began tuning his guitar for a practice session.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Feels good to still be here this morning. I'm stoked to know that I wasn't the first person eliminated from the show! However, the elimination of Sherwood makes me nervous, what if my teammates see me as the same as him, a loner who doesn't want to be around and would make an easy fist boot? I need to start interacting with them more and make an effort to formulate some type of an alliance moving forward. All they have to do is give me a chance and let me prove to them that I'm the most loyal friend and ally they could ever ask for."

He began to stroke his beard dreads.

"Speaking of interacting, what was that whole thing with Zubin? He had to of followed me for a reason? Does he know why I was there? I'll have to speak with him at some point, but I think allowing him to approach me is the best course of action as it would be suspicious to my team if I talk to him out of the blue before them. "

He lets out a small sigh.

"Man this whole strategizing thing gives me a headache. I'll worry more about this after my jam session though, hopefully I don't ruin the others' rest. I wonder which song I should do first? I'm feeling "Spoilin' for a Fight" since I want to rock out!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I see trouble comin' man…" Clay began to practice.

"Well I'm coming to a fork,

Sliding down a road,

Gonna lick em on down,

We're gonna run right out,

I'm a fighting fool,

And I'm hungry for you,

Well I'm living on a line,

I'm protecting my life,

Rock with me, come on come on,

You're only spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,"

"Make your heart beat thump, " Cassandra sang as she startled Clay as she walked into the clearing.

"Make your starter jump,

You're running on time,

Then you're fighting all night,

Then you're fighting all night,

With my rocking shoes,

cuz I'm hungry for you,

Well I'm living on the line,

All my life, rock with me,

Come on come on, you want it."

"Spoilin' for a fight," They both sang.

"Spoilin for a fight,

Tryin to make it right,

Spoilin for a fight,

Spoilin for a fight,

Trying to make it right,"

"Wooo!" Cassandra cheered as Clay entered into the guitar solo portion of the song.

"You betta stand your ground," Clay continued to sing after the solo ended as Cassandra nodded along.

"And keep out of my town,

To live another day,

Spoilin' for a fight,

Spoilin' for a fight,

Trying to make it right,

Spoilin' for a fight,

Spoilin' for a fight,

Cuz I've gotta make it right,

Fighting all night,

Cuz I'm spoilin' for a fight!"

"Hahaha, hell yeah!" Cassandra clapped cheerfully. "Woo!"

Clay put his guitar back in its case.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "And what are you doing up so early? I thought I was quiet enough when I left the cabin-"

"Oh, no you were quiet." Cassandra shrugged. "I just sort of naturally wake up that early, and I saw you so I got curious. Glad I tagged along! Now I know we've got three musicians on our team! You're really good, bro!"

"Oh!" Clay seemed a little taken aback. "Well...thank you! I'm glad you liked it?"

"You kiddin'?" Cassandra asked. "I friggin' love that song! I think you might be better at singing it than AC/DC themselves, ya'know?"  
"I don't know about that." Clay laughed.

"It's some flattery, bro!" Cassandra said. "Just take it! I was worried you'd be all antisocial but nah, you don't seem like that. A bit of a loner maybe, but ya haven't chased me away."

"Well, since we're both up, why don't we think of another song to play?" Clay asked.

Cassandra nodded and walked over towards where Clay was, almost tripping on something.

"You good?" Clay asked Cassandra.

"Yeah…" Cassandra said. "I guess it's just kind of dark out still."

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre, Julia, Katrina, Dominique, Briand_

Silivia slithered through the open window and up to Pierre, who was sitting at a table in the boys' side of the Ka Malu O Cabin. "Ah, you have returned!" He said with a grin as the rising sunlight began to shine through. "Tell me, where does that Clay compenemy keep the twist tiki he must have by now?"

Silivia shook her head.

Pierre frowned. "Well that is disappointing. What did you learn?"

Silivia hissed as she began to track sand throughout the cabin.

"Ah….an early morning practice session? How terribly unglamorous. Every performance must be a show, and there is no time for practice in between. I shall head for the Ka Lani cabinsite at once, and befriend the allies he is attempting to make so that my words hold more merit among them."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"I know that not-so-fabulous Clay has a tiki, and even if he doesn't he would still have that scroll. If he thinks he made a good move in ignoring me last time, he needs to think again. Soon he will realize his mistake once I steal that tiki, It's a grandtabulous plan."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey, where are you going?" Dominique asked as Pierre entered through the common area of the cabin.

"I was going to head over to the Heaven Team cabin, but if there is business we must discuss, I shall lend a glamorous ear."

"I just wanted to sort of go over last night's elimination." Dominique said. "I feel that-"

"There isn't fucking anything to go over." Katrina said without looking up from her book. "We eliminated the dead weight that lost us the first challenge that's it. That's all that happened."

"I know that." Dominique said. "But I just think it would be a good idea to try to remember exactly what happened…"

"What happened…" Julia mumbled.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

Julia was clenching her hands while looking distraught. "My friends may not have heard, but I sure did. I read the lips of the enemy..." Her face grew infuriated. "They don't know anything about us, yet they had the gall to talk about our teamwork?! Sherwood may have turned out to be a cool guy in the end, but he was the anomaly at the time." A growl nearly escapes her mouth, but she manage to resist. "Here I was, thinking about having a sing off against their vocalist. This is a wake-up call, and I intend to answer with full force."

End Confessional

* * *

"Did you hear the other team talking about us behind our backs?" She asked, mimicking Heather's voice. "That's-"

"What enemy teams fucking do?" Katrina asked as she turned a page.

"Argh." Dominique gestured towards her head and pretended to clench her scalp. "That's it. Whatever. I'm going for a walk in the woods. Briand, want to come along or something?"

"Y-yeah." Briand said, eager to leave the cabin. "I'll come too."

"In that case, I'll be off to the Ka Lani cabin." Pierre left.

Julia looked over at Katrina who was still reading her book.

She looked up.

"What?" She asked, before returning to the book.

A few moments of silence passed before she looked up again.

"What?" She asked.

Julia stood up, looked out the window to make sure no one was around, and yanked Katrina by her hair as she pulled the unhealthily thin brainiac out of the cabin and towards the woods.

* * *

 _Location: Honua Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lucy, Zubin, Astral_

"Listen…." Zubin said as he pulled Kevin and Lucy just outside the cabin, in order to make sure that Astral couldn't hear. "I've grown to like you guys a lot, and I was thinking that when the time comes...We should be the final 3."

"Hey, I've got no complaints." Lucy laughed.

'3 is a smaller number than 4." Kevin agreed.

"But what about Gal?" Lucy asked.

"It's unfortunate." Zubin frowned. "But the final three can only consist of three people, and I just happen to feel a closer bond with you guys."

"But we're still in that alliance right?" Kevin asked.

"Yes…" Zubin nodded. "Speaking of which, and I'm sure Gal knows this already, this alliance is a SECRET one. You and I will still treat everyone equally as though there were no alliance at all. We will meet each other separately when discussing votes so as not to arouse attention from the others. Furthermore, we aren't voting Gal off, or whoever our fifth member becomes, until the numbers absolutely dictate it, got it? The goal of this alliance is final five, and the goal of this smaller alliance, is the final 3. But we vote as a group and we do not turn on each other. Is this understood? I don't want to have to deal with an Oswald, got it?"

"Got it." Kevin nodded.

"Oh, for sure." Lucy nodded as well. "So, who's gonna be our fifth member?"

"I was thinking," Zubin replied. "for our fifth member...what do you guys say to Lina joining us?"

"I think that's fine." Lucy shrugged. "Seems nice enough. Quiet too. I doubt she'd go and give secrets away."

"I want…" Kevin turned towards the cabin. "Astral."

"I'm open to consideration." Zubin shrugged. "But I'd like to hear your reasoning why?"

"Because she's quiet and nice, and pretty, and she's also probably got bullies."

"Do you get bullied because of your aspergers, Kevin?" Lucy asked.

"Sometimes." Kevin avoided eye contact.

"But I know that occult fans often have bullies too. I don't want to exclude her."

"Then I guess we should get Gal's opinion on this." Zubin decided.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin; Honua

"My personal pick for this little group's fifth member is Lina, and Lucy seems okay with that. Kevin seems to really want Astral, and Galiris...I don't know who she wants yet, but from the way she 'conducts' herself, I have a feeling she'll be the one to suggest bringing in Steven…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Where is Galiris anyways?" Kevin asked.

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest(Near Honeymoon Cabin)_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina, Galiris_

"Hellloooo?" Galiris was busy knocking on the cabin door. "Can you hear me? Steven? Other person? What's in there?"

"I'd stop that if I were you." Chef rode up on a dune buggie. "They can't hear ya! The walls are soundproof."

"But...it's a cabin…" Galiris scratched her head. "How can it be soundproof if there's some space between the logs?"

"This ain't no lincoln log toy!" Chef seemed offended. "This here is the result of months of blood, sweat, determination, and blood!"

"You said-"

"I know what I said, girl!" Chef replied. "Now stop banging on the cabin! You're gonna ruin the paint job!" He warned as he rode off.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"So this is really sucky. Steven was far and away the most attractive out of the guys on my team, and he also seemed the most receptive to flirts, and now he's stuck in some crummy cabin, and I'm stuck on the other side of it. Flirting helps me relax, and I can't do that if he can't hear me, now can I?"

End Confessional

* * *

As Galiris left the area, Julia dragged Katrina in.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, let go! Let me fucking go!" Katrina complained.

"Listen, Miss Egotistical!" Julia said, not bothering to mimic anyone and instead using her real voice, which captured Katrina's attention very quickly.

" I tried to be friendly and get you to warm up with us, but this charade has got to end. We are a member a down, and its time for you to understand the severity of the situation!"

"The severity of our fucking situation is that the team doesn't fucking listen when they should!' Katrina retorted.

"Well, you're half right." Julia almost laughed. "I'm gonna be frank with ya, Katrina: There is a four-person alliance in our team, and I'm one of them. The only reason you haven't been eliminated is due to me!"

"Bull-fucking-shit." Katrina said. "Sherwood only lost to Deamian by one vote. He was the one who would have gone home yesterday instead of Sherwood, not me."

"That's only because I coerced the others to allow you to stay, for leverage only. Right now, you're on thin ice with the remaining members and I'm the only one who's giving you a time of day. Here's the ultimatum honey, work with me and secure safe elimination, or face the wrath of Team Ka Malu O. But I'm sure you know the correct answer, yes? After all, you're in checkmate, and I'm the one who's in control of it all."

Katrina fixed her hair, and adjusted her glasses after giving them a quick rub.

"Oh, I see what's going on." She said. "You're too concerned to simply ask me for an alliance. Very well. I accept your offer. Only because it works for me strategically of course."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"It was a really bad move to interrupt me from my book though, as well as dragging me somewhere against my will. You aren't safe yet, mockingbird."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Hayes, Stephanie, Maddie_

"It's sexy Stephanie!" Maddie popped her head up through the window as she saw Stephanie getting ready to head outside.

"Haha, stop it, you'll make me blush." Stephanie laughed.

"No, I was serious!" Maddie said. "Stephanie is super sexy hehehehehehehehehe!" She giggled. "Wanna go hang out by the bonfire pit?"

"I...was going to socialize with the rest of my own team actually." Stephanie said. "But we can move to the bonfire pit, and you can come if you want. We were all just going to hang out and stuff anyways, so I'm sure they won't mind."

"Heehee yay!" Maddie chimed as she disappeared.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Okay, so I'm worried that because of my...excitement...earlier this week, that my team only thinks of me as some dumb flirt, but I am serious about the competition, so my plan for today is hang out with my teammates and become buddies with them. Tone down my flirting, because there will be time for that later, and just generally put myself out there. It only ever gets increasingly more important to paint yourself in a good light."

End Confessional

* * *

As Stephanie exited and headed towards the leisure bonfire pit, she noticed that Alice and Hayes were still in the common area of the cabin.

"Aren't you gonna join us?" She asked. "You're my tag buddies, so I had hoped to spend more time with you two."

"Maybe in a bit…" Alice said. "Hayes is still feeling under the weather due to that snake bite from whatever it was that Chris said lived here, and I sort of want to keep him company."

"Oh," Stephanie looked towards Hayes. "I'm so sorry. I hope you feel better soon."

She turned towards Alice. "And I'm sure he's in capable hands with you." She smiled.

"Thanks." Alice smiled back.

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"I don't mind keeping Hayes company. I'd have liked to hang out with the others outside, sure, but someone needs to be there for him, and him being really cute doesn't hurt either."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey….." Hayes almost yawned as Stephanie shut the cabin door behind her. "Isn't….your last name Orland?"

"Yes, it is." Alice giggled. "Are you a fan of mine?"

"A big one." Hayes smiled. "I always thought that you were freaking beautiful. In every sense of the word too. Your voice, your looks, your personality...It's a freaking dream come true to meet you. I just wasn't sure when a good time to ask would come around."

"You're very sweet." Alice smiled. "I've heard you feel like your siblings overshadow you, but I think you shouldn't think that way. After all, I'm far more interested in you than I am in either of your siblings. That's something you'll always have over them."

"When you say that…" Hayes laughed. "Do you mean I have a vocalist girlfriend?"

Alice giggled. "Maaaaayyyyyybe." She said as she kissed him on the forehead. "You just rest, and we can figure out the details when you feel better."

* * *

 _Location: Leisure Bonfire Pit_

 _Contestant(s); Clay, Cassandra, Stephanie, Maddie, Pierre_

Despite everything that had happened between any of them, everyone present at the bonfire was wearing a cheerful and genuine smile.

"So….' Cassandra finally asked Maddie and Pierre. "What made you guys vote for Sherwood?"

"Yeah!" Stephanie seemed equally interested. "Why him? Why not, say, Katrina?"

"Oh, for sure, she'd have been gone right friggin' away over here." Cassandra agreed. "Those types of people just get on my nerves too much."

"We got rid of him because he didn't hang out with us at all, and made no effort to." Pierre responded. "On top of that, Clay seemed to tag him without effort during the Team Tag challenge. We kept Katrina because she'd give us an extra vote against him."

"That seems….reasonable…" Clay said. "But are Deamian's flirts really so annoying that he almost was voted off instead?"

"Oh, you have no idea how annoying they are!" Maddie seemed all too eager to speak about her experience.

Clay, Cassandra, and Stephanie all tuned out Maddie's rapid-fire speech and just nodded along.

As Maddie continued, wind started to swirl around as a helicopter landed nearby and two paramedics with a large portable hospital bed came rushing out of the helicopter, along with Chris.

"Go! He's in that cabin!" Chris shouted over the noise of the helicopter as the paramedics headed for the Ka Lani cabin, and everyone present followed them.

The paramedics quickly came out with Hayes.

"What's going on?" Cassandra asked.

"It was Hayes!" Alice replied as she rushed out of the cabin. "He started to breathe really heavily and I think he's having a heart attack!"

"You gotta tell me, doc, is he going to be okay?" Chris asked, concerned.

"He's…." The paramedic sighed as things began to calm down. "He's fine. He's stabilized. He'll be okay."

Everyone gave a sigh of relief.

"Unfortunately, because of the amount of venom from the Pouli Nahesa snake, he'll be in this state for another week at least. I'm afraid he needs to be medically evacuated."

"I….I understand." Chris said. He looked over at Hayes.

"Hayes, dude, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I want to give you something." He put some forms on Hayes's lap.

"I thought we all had to sign forms promising to not sue for injury before joining the show." Clay said.

"Yeah." Chris replied. "And these papers are copies of those forms. Just so he doesn't forget."

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"We really can't have any lawsuits. We spent most of the money we made off of Zero Sum to create this season. Even if we won, the cost of the lawyers would be way too much for our budget."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach_

 _Contestant(s): Lina, Kaleaf, Deamian_

As the helicopter now carrying Hayes flew out over the dawn sky above the ocean, Kaleaf was sitting on the beach, singing in Japanese.

"ゆりかごのうたを

カナリヤが歌うよ

ねんねこねんねこ

ねんねこよ

(A canary sings

A cradle song

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child!)"

As he continued to sing, Lina, who had been collecting bugs just inside the forest, took notice of him.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Wow...I never knew that Kaleaf had such a good voice. I wonder what he was singing...he sounded kind of sad…"

End Confessional

* * *

Lina crept closer towards Kaleaf as he continued to sing his song.

"ゆりかごのうえに

枇杷の実が揺れるよ

ねんねこ ねんねこ

ねんねこよ-"

(Above the cradle,

The loquat fruits sway

Sleep, sleep,

Sleep, child!)"

As he heard the sound of the leaves rustling, Kaleaf quickly turned and came face to face with Lina, who noticed some tears falling from his eyes.

"Kaleaf? Are you alright?" Lina asked, concerned.

"Yeah, of course." Kaleaf quickly rubbed his eyes of any more tears. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"

"It's just that the song you were singing...you sounded kind of sad when you sang it."

"Oh, uh, no. It's...supposed to be sung that way, yeah." Kaleaf stood up. "It's a tune that my mother sang to me before she...nevermind, just...trust me, I'm fine."

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"I am okay. I don't want Lina to be worried about me." He says in a calm voice before a few tears shed.

End Confessional

* * *

Lina clearly remained unconvinced. "Okay, well…" She looked over, and noticed Deamian, who noticed her and began to walk towards the two of them.

"I'm gonna go back to our team's camp. We should all get together before we head to the mess hall. You should come too, okay?"

And with that, Lina quickly left.

"Damn…" Deamian sighed as he jogged up to where Kaleaf was.

"You didn't say anything to make her run away did you?"

"No...I didn't." Kaleaf replied rather curtly. "But why are you here?"

"I was jogging around the island, and I simply noticed Lina so I wanted to talk to her, but she left before I could get here." Deamian said. "She's usually pretty quiet. I'm surprised she managed to talk to you without my encouragement. What was going on?"

"NOTHING!" Kaleaf shouted so loud that a flock of seagulls flew away, and Deamian backed up a bit.

"Okay, dude, chill." Deamian said before he began jogging back the way he came.

When he was gone, Kaleaf walked towards the sea line and looked at his reflection in the water before growling at himself and smashing the water with such force he left a hole in the sand when he brought his fist up.

"Um…" The intern behind the camera began to say, but Kaleaf quickly walked towards the Nahele Forest, forcing the intern to run behind him at a faster pace.

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Kaleaf, Evan, Clay, Nixia_

"Argh! Argh! Argh! Argh! Argh!" Kaleaf hit a random tree five hard times. As he pulled his hand away, it was clear that it was bruised and bleeding.

"Kaleaf, the fuck are you doing man?" An intern behind a camera asked him. "I really think you might want to go get that checked dude…"

"Nah…" Kaleaf rejected the request as he panted heavily, but seemed to be calming down. "I'm...I'm good. I'm heading back to the cabin to self-heal." he said as he walked away, picking the splinters out of his knuckles with a wince each step.

"Maybe use that time to get some rest instead…" The cameraman intern mumbled. "Damn dude…"

Meanwhile, Clay and Evan were talking to each other in a separate location of the forest.

"I don't know…." Evan moped. "I just feel like no one would want to be an alliance with me."

"I'd be in an alliance with you." Clay shrugged. "Honestly, I feel a bit of a kinship since we're both loners and tend to spend time away from others."

"And that's why I don't think anyone else would want me in an alliance." Evan moped. "You saw what happened to Sherwood. I'm not sure if this season is helpful to lone wolves…"

"Yeah...I get where you're coming from." Clay said. "But i've been talking to the rest of our team so far today, getting my name out there so they know not to think of me as dead weight. I suggest you try doing the same. I'm heading back to the cabin, Do you want to come?"

Evan shook his head, and waited until Clay walked off before he ran deeper into the woods.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

He sighs. "No one likes me..." he moans then gets angry. "If no one wants me then I'll just join nature!" He exclaims, grabs a dog bone and puts it in his mouth. "This hurts..." he whines through the bone then took it out. "These guys want me gone, I'll be gone!" He yells before howling.

End Confessional

* * *

He bursts through the woods on all fours,pretending to be a wild dog, howling and barking. Eventually, he comes face to face with the panther that roams Nui Kaua's jungles. It looks at him and gets ready to pounce on what it assumes will be a tasty morsel.

Evan's eyes widen and he crouches and cringes.

"Stop!" A voice announces as the panther suddenly becomes docile and backs off of Evan, who turns his head quickly to notice Nixia standing under an archway of trees. She looked almost like some kind of forest nymph the way the light shone down on her.

"No!" She chastised the panther. "Bad Panther! Bad! That's my teammate! We don't eat him, got it?"

The panther nodded with a low purr before disappearing deeper into the jungle.

"Evan, what are you doing?" Nixia asked as she held out a hand for Evan to take.

Evan barked at her and shook it as though her were a dog.

"If you want to behave like an animal…" Nixia said. "Then you should know that I'm very good at getting animals to do what I want, and right now, I want to talk to the human Evan. Something is clearly bothering you."

Evan blushed as Nixia grabbed his hand and pulled him up off of the ground.

"I was….worried that no one liked me…" Evan mumbled, hoping Nixia wouldn't hear it.

Nixia laughed. "That's ridiculous. Why would anyone not like you? I know I like you a lot! You love nature too don't you?"

Evan nodded.

"Then you're already my closest ally here." Nixia smiled. "Come on, let's head back to camp. We'll be called to the mess hall at any moment now."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Evan said as Nixia led him by the hand out of the forest.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

Evan lets out a dog bark. "I can't believe this, but I think I'm in love...with Nixia!" He exclaims ecstatically, his cheeks red.

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Zubin, Kaleaf_

"I'm back…" Kaleaf announced as Zubin quickly stood up and at the window of the room.

"You...okay?" Kaleaf asked.

"That's funny, coming from you, Mr. Swelled Hand." Zubin announced.

Kaleaf looked at his hand and sighed. "Well...I'm just going to get some rest before we're called to the challenge." He said as he hoisted himself atop a bunk bed.

"Alright…" Zubin said as he turned, and put a small package in his left pocket, making sure Kaleaf couldn't see it.

 **#TwistTikiFound**

"I'll be heading to the mess hall right now."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"So, that was a close call, but I managed to successfully retrieve this Maple Tiki." He shows it off to the camera. "And now I can keep it in my left pocket along with my lucky rock, and i'll have something unassuming to show others if they get suspicious about whatever is in there. But hey, it looks like I've got a tiki that can make only original Honua members' votes count during elimination. This could be a very useful tiki to play during the merge, or if a honua member is on another team and I happen to be watching their elimination ceremony...It's a pretty nice tiki to have. Now I just need to figure out the details about Clay, because I'm fairly certain he too has a tiki, and I think it would be wise for the two of us to work together and foster a friendship."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: The Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Steven_

The Honeymoon Cabin looked remarkably similar to the average team cabin, with the only difference being that the bunk beds had been replaced by a single heart-shaped bed.

"I wish this cabin had windows…" Steven lamented as Aleister looked around under various pieces of furniture. "Perhaps I could see some hot girl walk by and serenade her with a song of mine."

He turned to Aleister. "Don't you feel that way?"

"Huh?" Aleister asked. "Oh, um...I guess so yes, but I still need to get to know them before I make any romantic decisions."

He continued to look around the cabin for various secret switches and buttons.

"I don't understand it…" Aleister was getting rather frustrated. "Why are there not secrets in this cabin?"

"Hmm…" Steven said. "I think maybe-"

He was interrupted by Aleister beginning to go through a nearby dresser's drawers, opening each one to see nothing at all.

"Ugh…" He rolled his eyes as he moved towards a small nightstand.

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Honua

"So, there's practically nothing here in this cabin, and Aleister, for whatever reason, isn't very keen on talking to me. Honestly, this place feels like more trouble than it's worth. Hopefully my team can at least have the decency to pair me up with a hot girl next time. Hopefully a fan of man, or at the very least one that's open to flirting…

End Confessional

* * *

"Time's Up!" Chef yelled as he kicked down the door to the cabin. "I'm takin' you two fruitcakes up to Mt. Immolate for your next challenge! Take a good long look, because you might never be coming back here again."

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Bring out the Honeymooned contestants, Chef!" Chris called as Chef drove a large dune buggie up the mountain, with Steven and Aleister both bouncing up and down as it passed over a large assortment of rocks and bumps.

"I'm back, Ka Lani!" Aleister announced his return. "Heheheh, your strongest has returned."

He was met with mumbled welcomes.

"I certainly missed you guys." Steven said to his team as he rejoined Honua. He turned to Galiris. "Especially you, my seafaring siren." He winked.

Galiris blushed as she returned a smile. "Finally, you're back!" She pounced on him with a hug. "Did you find anything in the cabin? Did you? I was banging on it earlier."

"Really?" Steven asked. "I didn't hear anything. I feel like I would have heard that."

"I told y'all it's soundproof, didn't I?" Chef asked.

"A-hem." Chris coughed as everyone regrouped into their teams and turned around to face him.

"This was originally two challenges, but because of an unforeseen need for Hayes's medical evacuation, we've rolled them up into one big one."

"Hayes was medically evacuated?" Zubin asked. "Why?"

"The venom from the snake he stepped on in our last challenge made him so lethargic that he had a bit of a heart attack." Chris replied.

Everyone who had not yet heard about this gasped.

"Relax." Chris rolled his eyes. "He's fine now. I just got a call from the hospital where he's staying. But the venom is still in his system, so he'll need to stay there for the remainder of the show."

Chris turned towards the challenge. "Anyways the first half of today's challenge is this:

You will each individually be given a choice.

The choice to either bungie down into the volcano and grab a bucket of art supplies that we've placed on various platforms, or you can opt to sit out of the challenge in exchange for a clue to your team's Immunity Tiki. Tried but true, those bad boys have saved more contestant's hides than I can count. But you better find it if you do choose to take that clue, because if your team loses, you'll still be eligible for elimination.

If you do decide to jump, you can grab the bucket of art supplies, sure, as you'll need them for the next part of your challenge, but you might instead want to grab Twist Tiki #1, The Team Shift Tiki, which is among them. You grab that bad boy, and you can play him whenever you want, so long as it is not during an Elimination Ceremony, and simply move to your choice of the other two teams. You do not take anyone's place, you will simply join their team. My recommendation? Using it right after your team loses a challenge, hahaah. Let those suckers fend for themselves!"

After he was done cackling to himself, Chris moved on to the rules behind the challenge.

"If you grab a bucket of art supplies…" Chris announced. "You must then draw/paint/sculpt whatever, you gotta create an art piece that captures the spirit of your team, show it to your team's judge, and receive a passing grade (A 6 out of 10 or better). Once you do, the next participating member of your team is allowed to go.

Please note that whomever grabs the Team Shift Tiki will be restricted to using the sand on the beach in order to shape their artwork.

The teams with the two highest scores move on to the final portion of this challenge, building a large jigsaw puzzle of the opposing team's highest scored artwork. The first team to complete the puzzle will be crowned the winners of the challenge and earn the right to watch the losers (with the lowest total art score), sit through elimination, but not before the two winning teams each send someone over to Honeymoon."

A helicopter dropped a ladder down and three teenagers walked out of it. "Oh good!" Chris smiled. "Our three judges are here now. We called up three members of the team to win the Promotional Video Challenge from Zero Sum last season, The Raging Flames, and these three will each judge a team's artwork. So if you watched our last season, you should know exactly how to work your judge's buttons.

For Ka Lani, we've brought back Conlan! The Jack of All Trades to judge your works.

"Hey, Ka Lani!" Conlan waved. "I can't wait to see the artwork you guys create!"

For Ka Malu O...We've brought back Peter! The City Boy to judge your works.

"'Sup Ka Malu O?" Peter asked with a smile. He turned to Chris. "Yo, Chris." He tipped his fedora in Chris's direction, acknowledging the host's existence.

"And finally, for Honua…" Chris smiled. "We've brought back Helen! The Class President to judge your works!"

"Hello, Team Honua!" Helen waved as she dropped off the ladder. "It's nice to meet all of-"

"EEEEE!" Galiris squealed before fainting.

"...You…." Helen finished. She looked over at Chris. "Is she going to be okay?"

Chris shrugged. "Should be."

He turned to the camera.

"Whose strategy will begin to fall into place, and whose creative differences will cost their team the win? Find out when we return to Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _Challenge Rules(For those that want a clearer explanation:_

 _1: Decide on whether to bungee jump into the volcano or sit out the challenge and receive a clue to your team's Immunity Tiki_

 _2: If you jump, choose to either go for a bucket of art supplies, or the Team Shift Tiki_

 _3: Run down to the mountain and to the beach where you will create an art piece symbolizing your team, using the art supplies you have available. The piece will be judged by a Zero Sum contestant (Conlan for Ka Lani, Peter for Ka Malu O, and Helen for Honua). You must receive a passing score (6 out of 10 or higher) for the next member on your team to go._

 _3a: If you chose to take the Team Shift Tiki, you may only use sand to create your art piece_

 _4: The teams with the highest scores move on to the final part of the challenge where they must compete to solve a jigsaw puzzle of the opposing winning team's highest scoring work of art. Afterwards, they will vote and each send one member from the other winning team over to the Honeymoon Cabin. The first team to finish the puzzle gets to watch the losing team at elimination._

 _4: The team with the lowest score in the first half of the challenge faces elimination_

* * *

 _ **AN: So, for you guys, everyone who is left, I want to know the following:**_

 _ **A: Whether you choose to bungie or sit out and look for the Immunity Tiki(try to remember what you said in your interview)**_

 _ **B: If you do jump, do you go for Art Supplies or the Twist Tiki(assuming someone hasn't already retrieved it)**_

 _ **C: What kind of art piece are you going to try and make to capture your team's image? How will you make it? Try to be descriptive.**_

 _ **D: Assuming your team is one of the two winners, pick one person from EACH of the other teams you would vote to send to Honeymoon Cabin. (basically, if you are on Honua, pick one Ka Lani AND one Ka Malu O to vote for Honeymoon, assuming your team is a winning team)**_

 _ **E: Assuming your team is a losing team, tell me your strategy for how you will spend the time before the Po'ino Bonfire Ceremony.**_

 _ **Again, I won't be giving due dates for this, but I DO want to you to tell me what you want your OC to do as soon as you are done reading this chapter.**_

 _ **And as always, thank you for reading ^.^!**_


	8. Ep 2: Creative Differences (Challenge)

_Challenge Rules: Each member of each team chooses whether to compete in the challenge, or sit the challenge out and receive a clue to the whereabouts of their team's Immunity Tiki._

 _Competing teammates take turns bungee jumping into the volcano to either obtain a bucket of art supplies or a Twist Tiki (The Team Shift Tiki) which can be used to switch teams whenever they want, provided it is not during an elimination ceremony._

 _After grabbing either the tiki or the art supplies, the contestants must run down to the beach where they will create and submit artwork capturing their team spirit to the judges (Conlan for Ka Lani, Peter for Ka Malu O, Helen for Honua) in order to receive a passing score of 6/10 or, hopefully, higher, at which point, the next member of their team may begin bungee jumping._

 _The teams with the two highest total scores once all members have gone compete in the second part of the challenge to determine a winner: Solving a jigsaw puzzle of their opponents' highest scoring art piece._

 _The team that completes the puzzle in the least amount of time are declared the official winners. The team that completes the first half of the challenge first, gets their best art piece score (in seconds) retracted from the time it takes them to complete the puzzle (It is possible that the team to achieve this will not move on to the second round)._

 _Contestant Jumping Order (Decided by drawing from a hat)_

 _Ka Lani:_

 _Cassandra, Nixia, Clay, Aleister, Alice, Stephanie, Evan_

 _Ka Malu O:_

 _Dominique, Maddie, Pierre, Julia, Deamian_

 _(Briand and Katrina have both chosen to sit out the challenge for the clue to their team's Immunity Tiki)_

 _Honua:_

 _Astral, Zubin, Steven, Lucy, Galiris, Kaleaf, Lina_

 _(Kevin has chosen to sit out the challenge for the clue to his team's Immunity Tiki)_

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"So…?" Cassandra asked as the interns strapped her into the harness. "This has been tested, right?"

"Of course it has." Chris smiled.

"You brave soul." One of the interns mumbled.

"Wait, what did she just say?" Dominique asked as the intern walked away. "What. Did she. Just Say?"

Astral looked down into the volcano at the tiki and art supplies. "And we can m-make anything?" She asked softly.

"As long as you think it captures the spirit of your team!" Chris shrugged with a smile.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Eh...I'm not that great at art. Like...I can visualize the outcome in my head, but actually getting there is hard for me. I don't like it...But I'm gonna have to try womanly charms to get a better score."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well?" Chris asked. "What are you guys waiting for? _Jump Already_!"

Astral took a deep breath and jumped.

As she plunged down, she grabbed a nearby can of art supplies.

"Yes! Go Astral!" Cheers came from her team.

"Well, that didn't look too bad…" Cassandra said as Astral came back up. She jumped down into the volcano and grabbed some art supplies for herself as well.

Dominique followed shortly after with the same actions and the three girls all ran down towards the beach.

* * *

Confessional: Helen: Judge

"It was actually kind of nice to be back on the island after all the time that's passed. I was really looking forward the artwork that I would get to judge."

End Confessional

* * *

Astral shuffled up to Helen and quietly handed her a piece of paper.

"Is this for me?" Helen asked. Astral nodded.

"It's my a-art piece…" She spoke.

She pointed to the sketch of the large rose flower on the paper. "E-each of the petals is a different team member's favorite color to represent kindness...and this snake around the stem of the rose is there to represent the um...badass people of the team...And finally, the faces covered by the hands represent the shy people on our team...because we have a few."

"I'm not sure about shy…" Helen said as she took the art piece. "But my team had a really quiet person on it as well last season. If I could give you some advice, it would be to socialize more with your teammates. Even if you end up not having anything in common, at least you'll get to know them."

She looked over the art. "I like this piece...I'll give you...a 7."

"Thank you." Astral nodded as she began to hurry up the Volcano while Steven got ready to jump.

"Here you are." Cassandra held up a large drawing to Conlan.

"See the eight fists raised into the sky? It represents the unity of our team. And each arm has been carefully drawn to match the arms of my teammates, tattoos and all!"

"Hm…" Conlan pointed to one of the smaller arms. "Who does this belong to?" He asked.

"That's Hayes's arm." Cassandra replied.

"But he isn't in the competition…" Conlan said.

"That doesn't make him any less Ka Lani in our team's book." Cassandra said.

"Well, I am hard pressed to think of things cooler than fists being raised into the sky…" Conlan admitted. "I'll give you an 8.5"

"Whoa, really?" Cassandra asked. Conlan nodded.

"Hayes should count himself lucky." He said. "Our season's Medical Evacuee didn't receive nearly as warm a send-off."

"Hey!" Chris said to Conlan from a helicopter. "What did I say about that?"

"No spoiling the show for those who might not have seen it…" Conlan sighed as Cassandra began to head up towards Mt. Immolate, catching up to Astral.

"Heeere you go…" Dominique said as she slid up close to Peter.

Peter turned towards the camera with a concerned look.

* * *

Confessional: Peter: Judge

"Kaede, I know you were watchin' dis. Remember dat I only got eyes for you babe."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well…" Peter coughed as he looked over the artwork. "I like da' idea o' da' two demons fightin' each other...but I'm deducting a point from ya for tryin' to seduce someone who's taken."

"You were taken the second you laid eyes on her." Helen joked from her seat at the judges' table.

"I remember betting Liu-Ten about twenty dollars that you had a thing for Kaede last season." Conlan added.

"I didn't try to hide it or nothin'..." Peter mumbled as he tipped his fedora over his eyes. "So why does dis feel so embarrassin' right now?"

He looked up at Dominique. "You get a 9. Good job wit' Hell Team Art. Please don't try ta' win dat way in da' future."

Dominique then sprinted back towards Mt. Immolate.

Cassandra was the first one to make it back, and Nixia jumped down and grabbed a can of art supplies.

As Astral and Dominique returned at the same time, Steven and Maddie both jumped into the volcano.

"Twist Tiki, called it!" Maddie announced as she lunged for the Tiki, only to be overtaken by Steven, who snatched the Twist Tiki up before Maddie could grab it.

 **#TwistTikiFound**

"And Steven gets the Team Shift Tiki!" Chris announced. "But both he and Maddie now have diddly squat to work with when it comes to art supplies! Meanwhile...Nixia is already making her way down towards the beach with her bucket of artist's tools!"

"Chris." Steven said. "You said that you could play the Team Shift Tiki at any time, correct?"

"As long as it isn't at an Elimination Ceremony, you can play the Team Shift Tiki whenever you want."

"In that case, I would like to play it immediately."

 **#TwistTikiPlayed**

" _WHAT_?!" Both Galiris and Kaleaf seemed immensely shocked by the announcement.

"What the hell?" Lucy asked rather angrily.

Zubin and Astral didn't say anything, but looked just as irritated as everyone else.

Kaleaf almost began to storm off, but Lina kept him from leaving the challenge area.

"So…" Chris said. "Which Team are you switching to, Steven?"

"The team that Alice, my stepsister, is on." Steven said. "Team Ka Lani."

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"It's not that I have anything against my old team. I like everyone on Honua, but you've got to understand that a very dangerous man might have escaped from prison, and I just want to make sure that Alice is safe, no matter what."

End Confessional

* * *

Steven and Maddie both ran down to the beach to begin their artwork.

"Um…" Chris said to Zubin. "I guess you can jump now, Zubin." He said. "Steven seems to have switched to Ka Lani."

Zubin nodded and jumped down, grabbed some art supplies, and headed down towards the beach.

"Hey! Hey judge boy! Look at the sand castle!" Maddie said excitedly to Peter, who was resting with his fedora covering his face.

"Well, let's see the little- _Whoa_ …" Pierre looked over at the large and detailed castle with the Ka Malu O logo created on the center. "And you _only_ used sand to make this?" He asked.

Maddie nodded.

"That's a figgin' 10 if I ever saw one." Peter sat back down.

"Yes!" Maddie announced as she headed back up towards Mt. Immolate.

"So…" Nixia held up her painting to Conlan. Whose eyes went wide.

"A painting!" He exclaimed.

Nixia nodded. "Here I have Evan and I are in the forest surrounded by animals, because we both like them a lot. And...there is Clay and Cassandra, they're playing music. That's Stephanie cheerleading...and that's Aleister...existing...and then Alice is singing in the painting."

"Why is she facing away from everyone else though?"

"She's singing to Hayes."

"Wow. Okay… um...I gotta go with an 8 then." Conlan said. "It's a pretty good painting, if I do say so myself."

"So…" Steven walked up to Conlan.

"Are you even on this team?" Conlan asked.

Steven showed Conlan his drawing.

The Ka Lani team was huddled around a campfire in the corner of the picture, while Hayes was walking away from them, and Steven was walking towards them, and the two boys seemed to be high-fiving each other as though Steven was being tagged in for Hayes.

"Oh my god…" Helen said as she noticed the picture and started to cry.

"Really, Preppy?" Peter asked.

"But it's so sweet!" Helen replied.

"It is really good…" Conlan agreed. "And heartwarming...but I'm not quite sure how it-"

Helen gave Conlan a glare.

"8.5, Steven." Conlan smiled.

* * *

Confessional: Conlan: Judge

"No, I was going to give him the 8.5 anyways. But I did want to mention that it didn't seem like something that truly captured the whole Ka Lani team when most of the team was _literally_ off to the side. But if my time on Zero Sum has taught me anything, its that arguing with Helen is a waste of time."

End Confessional

* * *

The Ka Lani members rushed past Maddie and made it to the top of the Volcano first.

"Clay, you're up!" Chris announced as Clay jumped down, grabbed a bucket of art supplies, and began to run towards the beach.

"Back!" Maddie announced.

"Pierre-!" Chris began.

"Wait!" Julia stopped him.

"Yes…?" Chris asked.

"Um…" Julia asked. "Do you think that we could start jumping in pairs?" She asked. "Like, I could go with Pierre. And Galiris could go with Lucy, and Aleister could go with Alice, and so on?"

"Why?" Chris asked, curious.

"B-because…." Julia mimicked Cody. "It'll save time! Yeah. You're always complaining about time running out, and it might also be a good trust exercise."

"Hm." Chris shrugged. "When you put it like that, I don't see why not. Sure. From now on, if there are enough people who still need to jump on your team, you may jump with two people at a time. But you _both_ have to be done and back up here before the next pair jumps."

"Then let's show these people what true art looks like!" Pierre announced as he grabbed Julia and forced them both to jump into the volcano. They each grabbed a bucket of art supplies and began to run down the volcano.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Remember earlier when I said that I sent my video as a joke? Great...do you guys know how I got into that plane?" She sighs, then at the camera. "It took six interns to literally drag me from my barricaded room, with me doing pretty much anything: kicking, screaming, punching... you get the idea. For those who think Total Drama is all fun and games, for the people amusement... ITS NOT! These contestants were seriously risking everything! Heck, looking back on it, I don't see how all of them are even alive. My god, a serial killer appeared, Owen squashed by a plane, radiated animals... its too much! Now that I've heard that one of the contestants nearly died this season, I'm not sure if its worth it." Julia then stands with a solemn expression. "Don't get me wrong, I want to win like everyone else, but I care too much about living beyond thirty. So yeah, _that's_ why I didn't want to jump alone."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ugh…." Galiris tapped her foot impatiently. "What's taking Zubin so long?"

"Seriously…" Lucy agreed. "The dude's been down there for a while now…"

"Done." Zubin said as he took his drawing up to Helen. "Finally." Helen smiled as she looked over it.

She frowned.

"Maple leaves together with a caption?"

"Honua Unity." Zubin said.

"Zubin, the drawing itself is very good. These maple leaves look real. It's clear that you've put a lot of time into them."

"You're about to say 'But' aren't you?" Zubin guessed.

"But…" Helen nodded. "I'm not sure exactly that this is the kind of 'capturing of team spirit' that Chris had in mind. I can't tell whether this piece truly represents your team's spirit at all. It just sort of seems like a...random art piece. It is good though, from a strictly aesthetic sense. So I guess I'll give you a 6.5"

"Hrm…" Zubin grumbled before he began to run up towards Mt. Immolate.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Funny she should choose that score. It's about the same rating out of 10 I'd give her performance on Zero Sum."

He paused.

"I'm sorry. But I worked for a rather long time on that. I deserved a better score than I got."

End Confessional

* * *

"Here we go!" Clay announced as Conlan seemed to wake up from the nap he was taking in his chair.

"What do we got?" Conlan asked.

"We may all come from different walks of life," Clay quoted the passage under the team portrait he had created. "But we've come together to make one big family. Even though Hayes is no longer with us in the game, he's still in our thoughts and prayers. Get better soon, bro."

"Loner?" Conlan asked.

"Yeah." Clay replied. "It's a sort of title I got for-"

"For being Carys." Peter whispered into Conlan's ear. Conlan began to laugh.

"Don't talk about people behind their backs like that." Helen scolded them. She fidgeted about in her seat before mumbling.

"Even if it _is_ true."

Peter and Conlan both erupted into laughter.

"You did a great job with that portrait, Clay." Conlan said as he calmed down. "Easily an 8.5 in my book. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks man." Clay gave a small smile before rushing back towards Mt. Immolate.

"Jump!" Zubin announced to Lucy and Galiris as he got back to the top of the mountain.

The girls nodded at each other and jumped down into the volcano, both coming back up with buckets of art supplies and rushing down towards the beach.

"Jump!" Clay said as he returned shortly after, and Aleister and Alice both jumped down, grabbing art buckets as they came back up.

"Done!" Pierre announced with a pose as Peter tipped his hat up to see what the Ka Malu member had created.

"It's the Leaning Glass Tower of Pisa!" Pierre announced as he motioned to the rather large glass sculpture he had created.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Arts and crafts are one of my many fantabulous spectacalities." Pierre adopts a rather smug grin. "And heating up the abundant sand into glass was incredibly easy thanks to the natural furnace of the volcano. Did you guys know there was a path in the base of the mountain?"

End Confessional

* * *

"It's the perfect symbol to represent Ka Malu O!" Pierre said as Peter looked over the sculpture. "We are all very different and our team looks like it'll fall apart at any second, but we _are_ still standing...and we aren't going anywhere that easily."

"Now _dis_ …" Peter pointed. " _Dis_ is a friggin' 10!"

Pierre gave a rather flamboyant bow before rushing to Julia's side.

"H-hey!" Alice pointed. "What's he doing?"

"I never said that completed contestants couldn't help others!" Chris called from atop his helicopter.

"Excuse me…" Aleister said as he got Conlan's attention. "I've completed my sculpture."

Conlan looked to see the superhero-esque Dove painted gold stomping the villainous looking Bat that had been painted scarlet.

"Okay…" Julia said, mimicking Heather as she looked over. "You want a war, Ka Lani? You'll _get_ a war."

She returned to her art and began to work faster and with more focus than before.

"I like this one." Conlan nodded. "Um….I think I'll give it...a 7.5, yep."

Aleister nodded.

Alice arrived shortly after Aleister left towards the volcano.

"Here it is…" Alice said as she handed Conlan her painting.

It seemed to be based off of The Last Supper, but instead it was of all the Ka Lani members, Steven now included, sitting around a bonfire. The flames were large and shaped like a dove.

Conlan's jaw dropped.

"Wow…." He gestured to the painting. "Just...wow…"

"I know…" Alice said, seemingly not terribly pleased with it. "I just sort of painted what came to mind and I know that it doesn't seem to compare to some of the other paintings but-"

"If you stop talking right now…" Conlan said. "I'm prepared to give you a 9. Deal?"

"Deal." Alice smiled cheerfully as she headed towards Mt. Immolate.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"So...I think I might have um…gotten a little _too_ excited about my favorite Zero Sum character appearing and judging my team for this challenge, so my art piece…"

End Confessional

* * *

"You dug this entire thing in the sand?" Helen asked as she looked over the gigantic sketch of the Honua contestants in the sand.

"Y-yeah." Galiris replied. "What do you think?"

The waves washed up and ruined Galiris's art.

"Well...now I think 6." Helen said. "Sorry. Try not to build something important so close to the lake."

"Wait, before I go…" Galiris said. "Can I ask for advice? I really liked watching you last season and I just wanted to know if you had any wisdom to share."

"Hm…" Helen thought to herself. "I guess it would be to never judge anyone by first impressions. Everyone _usually_ has a pretty good reason for acting the way they do, even if you don't agree with those actions."

"Done!" Julia announced as she and Pierre brought her painting up to Peter.

What appeared to be lightning bolts separated the painting eight ways, and in each eighth of the painting was a picture to represent a different member of Ka Malu O.

Pierre was represented by a cobra with fireworks in the background.

Julia was represented by a mockingbird on top of a parrot.

Sherwood was represented by a wolf, but his picture was mostly covered in black paint because he was eliminated.

Dominique was represented by a flaming torch.

Briand was represented by a shield with a B on the front of it.

Maddie was represented by a rose made of dynamite.

Deamian was represented by a chain-covered heart.

Finally, Katrina was represented by a dictionary titled "IQ 187: Holier Than Thou Fuckers"

"Hahahahahahahaaaaa!" Peter laughed as he looked over the painting.

"Damn, you get a 10. I'd give ya' extra points for makin' me laugh like dat, but Chris said I can't do dat…"

Julia's eyes lit up before she rushed up towards Mt. Immolate, Pierre following soon after.

"Jump!" Alice said to Evan and Stephanie as she and Aleister reached the top of the mountain.

The two of them nodded, jumped down, grabbed art supplies, and rushed down towards the beach.

"Jump!" Julia and Pierre then said to Deamian, the last participating Ka Malu O member.

He nodded, jumped down, grabbed his art supplies, and began to head down towards the beach after Evan and Stephanie as well.

"Done!" Lucy announced as Evan, Stephanie, and Deamian all reached the beach. She showed Helen her art piece.

"A pack of wolves?" Helen asked.  
"Not just any wolves though." Lucy said. "They're hunting down prey together in the picture, and their working as a team, almost like a family even. That's what, at least to me, I think it means to be Honua. I feel like we, as a whole, get along with each other more than the other teams, which is why the prey that the wolves are chasing have the other two teams' logos painted onto them."

"I see…" Helen nodded. "I'll give you an 8!"

"Yes!" Lucy brought a fist in, before heading up towards the volcano.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Well...Unfortunately, I'm not that good at art...but I made extra sure to at least make it presentable to the judge. So I'm pretty sure I'll get a passing score."

End Confessional

* * *

"Here it is." She said as she showed Conlan a rather quickly done painting of Team Ka Lani all holding hands with each other.

"This...looks like a kid made it…" Conlan said.

"But it's so cute!" Helen argued.

"Pay attention to your own assigned team, Preppy." Peter said. "And stop arguing with him. You're louder than you think and it's hurtin' my eardrums."

"Anyways…" Conlan turned back to Stephanie. "I'll give you a 6.5"

Stephanie nodded.

"Wait, mine too!" Evan handed Conlan the unteenth painting of Ka Lani members all being happy and including Hayes in the picture.

"7 Points for keeping the theme…" Conlan said. "But oh my goodness I've seen way too much of these lately."

"That's the last one!" Stephanie encouraged Conlan as she began to head back up the mountain. "Come on Evan, we can be the first to finish and win the Time Shave Bonus for the second half of the challenge if we qualify!"

"Right behind you!" Evan announced as he took off behind her.

"Jump!" Lucy announced to Kaleaf and Lina, who were waiting to jump.

"Come on!" Kaleaf said as he grabbed Lina and rushed her into the volcano with him. "We can't lose this challenge!"

"Kaleaf, your hand!" Lina pointed at Kaleaf's hand that had still not been properly cared for, and was starting to bleed from the wounds that had opened due to the heat. "Get that checked out!"

" _After_ we win!" Kaleaf said as they both grabbed art supply buckets and Kaleaf took off at a full sprint down the volcano.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I wish Kaleaf would take it a little easy. He should be patient and both let his wound heal _and_ concentrate on his art piece. We already aren't the first to finish, so there's no need to compete for the Time Shave Bonus….Just make sure we get high scores...right?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

"屎,屎屎屎! This is bad, horrible even! I didn't have a chance to get that Tiki! I have to think of something new & fast. I can't be voted off! I won't!" He said angrily before restricting himself from punching a hole on the restroom sides.

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright…" Kaleaf said as he finished his artwork. "Helen! Please come look at this."

"I-Is that…?" Helen asked as she pointed at the red Maple Leaf outline that Kaleaf had traced.

She looked at Kaleaf's bleeding hand.

"Uh oh…" She said in a bit of a haze before fainting on the sand, below where Kaleaf had titled his creation 'Purification Being Twisted'.

"Ooooh…" Chris announced from his Helicopter. "It looks like Kaleaf might've caused Helen to go out of commission for a while. That'll be a bit of a hinderance for Lina. Her art can't be judged if the judge is out cold!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I've been doing the math as this challenge has kept going...and yeah...it's actually pretty close. It would be easier on us if 3 things happened differently:

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"If Steven hadn't switched…

Confessional: Astral: Honua

"If Kevin hadn't sat out….

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"And if Kaleaf had simply looked after his wound…

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"This entire shitstorm could have been avoided."

End Confessional

* * *

"Done!" Deamian announced as he shook Peter from his seat at the judges' table.

"Whoa, dere…" Peter said. "Lemme move at my own pace, bro. Whaddya' got for me?"

"I call it…" Deamian said. "Ka Malu 'OOOO"

Peter looked at the clay sculpture of a large bat, painted scarlet, which seemed to have teeth and fangs shaped like each member of Ka Malu O.

"It's because we're all doing our own individual work, but ultimately all attempting to reach the same goal, and part of the same entity, or team I guess."

"I gotta say, I'm impressed." Peter said. "Not as impressed as I have been, but impressed. I'll give ya a 9."

"Well now…" Chris said from his helicopter. "I guess we can stop the challenge here, eh?"

"What?" Lina asked as she looked up from her painting for Honua. "But Helen still needs to give Kaleaf and I her scores!"

"That won't be necessary, Lina!" Chris called back in response. "Because even _if_ Helen gives you both 10s, which let's be honest, isn't likely...Both Ka Lani and Ka Malu O will _still_ have more points than you. So Honua, you guys might as well head back to your campsite, where Kevin is waiting for you!"

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Did I find the Earth Immunity Tiki? No. But I know that it's apparently buried in the sand somewhere along the beach. I just need to figure out where exactly and I'll have it."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Challenge Part 1 Complete_

 _Scores:_

 _Ka Lani: 64 total points_

 _Ka Malu O: 49 total points_

 _Honua(Helen, after recovering from seeing the blood and taking careful stock of the art, awarded both Kaleaf and Lina 9.5 points): 47.5 total points_

 _Challenge Part 2:_

 _Assembling the Puzzle of the highest scoring art piece of the other team (because Ka Malu O had a tie, their 'highest scoring' piece was decided by a hat draw)_

 _Ka Lani Must Assemble: Julia's Painting_

 _Ka Malu O Must Assemble: Alice's Painting_

* * *

After about an hour or so of scuffling, the times were established.

Ka Lani took...63 minutes to complete their puzzle.

Because of their Time Shave Bonus, their total has dropped to 53.5 minutes.

Ka Malu O took….

….

….

23 minutes.

"Ka Malu O are our winners!" Chris announced, almost shocked. "Which means that they all (except one of them anyways) will get to watch the Honua Elimination later tonight at the Po'ino Bonfire at the top of the volcano!"

"Wooo!" The five Ka Malu O members present all cheered and celebrated together.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Suck it, Ka Lani!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Now…" Chris announced. "Two winning teams...you have a duty to do."

Chef pulled up in the dune buggie with the Honeymoon bed.

"Honeymoon Cabin Time!" Chris announced. "Who gets to go from which team?"

He turned towards Ka Malu O.

"Yo, Hell Team...which little Dove are you trapping in the Honeymoon Cabin?"

"Alice!" They seemed to agree upon rather quickly.

"And….Ka Lani!" Chris turned. "Tell me, Heaven Team, which Bat is going to join her in solitude?"

"Pierre." The team eventually decided upon.

"Alright then…" Chris said. "Alice, Pierre, the Honeymoon Cabin awaits you!"

Alice and Pierre both reluctantly got on the Honeymoon bed and Chef drove them off into the forest.

"Now everyone go back to camp and get some rest. And Ka Malu O, remember to watch the Honua elimination tonight!"

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Briand, Katrina, Maddie, Dominique, Julia_

"Oh, you're back from your challenge?" Katrina asked, not at all interested and reading through her book.

"We _won_ , no thanks to you." Julia responded, mimicking Katrina. "I hope you had a good fucking time searching for an Immunity Tiki."

"Did either of y'all find one?" Dominique asked, more Briand specifically.

"Even if we _did_." Katrina answered. "We _wouldn't_ tell anyone."

"Y-yeah." Briand nodded. "That's stuff to keep secret, and not share with everyone on the team."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

Katrina holds up the Hell Immunity Tiki to the camera.

"That said...I choose to sit out the challenge for a _reason_. I wasn't called the Braniac for nothing, those riddles were like a slice of cake to me."

End Confessional

 **#ImmunityTikiFound**

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach (Near Pathway To Honua Campsite)_

 _Contesant(s): Kevin, Zubin, Lucy, Astral, Galiris, Lina, Kaleaf, Deamian_

"Ugh." Galiris grunted as she kicked against the waves as she walked along the beach, upset.

"Kevin…" Zubin sighed. "What are we going to do now? I don't really want to vote any of us off."

"Yeah…" Kevin replied. "But that's the game. We can't win all of them."

"We could have won this one though." Lucy mumbled as she walked by with Astral.

"Sorry about that." She said as she turned back to Astral.

"So, you like occult stuff huh? What, like Necronomicon type stuff? Demon summoning and Old Ones and all that jazz?"

"Oh, yeah...I like all that stuff." Astral nodded with a smile. "But you probably think it's weird, huh?"

"Nahhh." Lucy waved her hand. "We've all got our quirks you know? Like, see, look at how Gal's handling the loss."

Astral looked over and noticed Gal seemingly throwing a tantrum in the water.

"Heheheh…" She laughed. "I guess no one is ever perfect."

"Still though…" Lucy said as they continued to walk. "I'm still kind of pissed at Steven for leaving like that when he did. I mean, I get _why_ he did it, but he couldn't have waited, I dunno, until he was done doing the challenge for us?"

"Yeah." Astral nodded.

* * *

Confessional: Astral: Honua

"I'm...I'm doing what Helen told me to. I'm r-really nervous about it but….I'm putting myself out there to socialise w-with my teammates. I've already talked to Z-zubin and Lucy, and they're both really n-nice, and they seem fine with my... h-hobbies. I'm a-already friends with Kevin….so now I just need Galiris...Lina...and Kaleaf….but I'm kind of scared of Kaleaf…"

End Confessional

* * *

"There." Lina said as she bandaged Kaleaf's hand up. "Now _don't_ take it off! At least not until I say so. I don't want Chris to medically evacuate you, too!"

"So, Lina…" Kaleaf mumbled, steering the topic away from his hand wound and towards elimination.

"We're about to head up to elimination."

"Yeah…" Lina sighed. "I hope neither one of us gets kicked off. I've only _just_ gotten used to everyone on my team, and I really like talking with you...when you're calm anyways."

"Y-yeah…" Kaleaf laughed. "That's a...bad habit I have...but…"

He paused.

"Crap, I forgot what I was talking about…"

"Elimination?" Lina asked.

"Right!" Kaleaf remembered. "I was thinking that we should probably vote together. Probably for Kevin because he didn't participate in the challenge. I don't know if he has an Immunity Tiki or not, but worst case scenario, he plays it and uses it up."

"Hmmm…" Lina thought about it. "I guess...maybe? I really need to think about this...I mean, whoever is voted off isn't allowed to come back so-."

"Please just say yes." Kaleaf begged. "I just...I'm sorry, I just feel like we have this sort of connection and-"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I...I'm not sure what came over me, or why I did what I did, but I felt like it was what Deamian would do if he was talking to some pretty girl who was going a mile a minute dumping out feelings."

End Confessional

* * *

Lina interrupted Kaleaf's speech with a kiss on the lips.

Deamian, who had rushed to give Lina some flowers, just in case it was her last night on the island, dropped them in shock as he saw the scene, and waddled back towards the Ka Malu O Campsite.

* * *

Confessional: Kaleaf: Honua

Kaleaf said nothing, but it was clear that he was blushing heavily.

End Confessional

* * *

"I...needed that…" Kaleaf said. "Thank you."

"It's going to be okay." Lina told him. "I think we might be able to convince a few of the others to vote for Kevin as well. Tikis are dangerous and we should avoid having to put up with them."

"Zubin!" Galiris called Zubin over to where she was still pacing around in the water.

"What is it?" Zubin asked.

"First!" Galiris counted on her fingers. "I want to completely _destroy_ Ka Lani in the next challenge. Second!"

She changed her tone to a whisper so that only the two of them could hear.

"I thought I might share with you my opinion for tonight's vote off...I kind of want to get rid of Kaleaf. I think he isn't quite...mentally prepared for this kind of show…Plus, he caused like, my idol to faint, so I'm pretty mad at him for that too. Anyways, just letting you know my thoughts on the matter, Feel free to let me know if others feel strongly about anyone else. Finally, Number Three…."

She stood upright and sighed before continuing.

"My second choice for member number 5 of this little group of ours, since Steven left us for his sister, is Astral. I just got done talking with her and she is _adorable_...albeit in a sort of creepy kind of way…"

"Um...alright…" Zubin said. "Is that it?"

"Could I vent at you about our loss a little more?" Galiris asked.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Apparently 'a little more' means _allllll_ the way until we're called to Elimination."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire (Elimination Ceremony)_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Winners(watching elimination): Briand, Katrina, Maddie, Julia, Dominique, Deamian_

 _Losers(facing elimination): Kevin, Kaleaf, Lina, Lucy, Galiris, Astral, Zubin_

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"So...I'm making this confessional as we head to elimination. No one saw me dig this up…"

He holds up the Earth Immunity Tiki.

"I have to thank everyone who was walking around on the beach for kicking the sand up to reveal the Maple shaped rock I needed to dig under."

End Confessional

 **#ImmunityTikiFound**

* * *

"So…" Chris announced. "Honua…Let's begin your first Elimination Ceremony…"

He looked at the camera.

"After we return, on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _ **AN: Honua members...You guys know the drill (I want votes, and I also want things that your OC might say or do during the tribal council to sway the others to vote alongside them, also, if you think your OC's vote might sway depending on who does what, I'd like to know that as well too) Also, if you have a Twist OR Immunity Tiki and believe that you should play it, now is the time to do so!**_

* * *

 _ **AN2: Ka Malu O Members(Watching Elimination), you can also attempt to convince the others to vote off a particular member that you're leaning towards, but remember that your knowledge of the other team is very limited. If any of you guys want to play a Twist OR Immunity Tiki, now would be the time to do so.**_

* * *

 _ **AN3: Alice and Pierre, Honeymoon Cabin, I'd love to know your plans of action.**_

* * *

 _ **AN4: Ka Lani members...reactions to Steven coming over to Ka Lani? This is optional, but I am curious about everyone's opinions on the matter**_

* * *

 _ **Final AN: Look...We're all busy people, I get it. I totally do. So I'm going to make an offer for you guys. I am willing to write the story in a Chapter-based format (So it'd be structured more like Zero Sum chapters, where the whole episode plays out, and you guys get to see the votes at the end and all that jazz(Plus, I heavily believe that stuff like this chapter would be (albeit shorter), FAR more interesting for you guys to read), but IF I do that, it means that I will no longer be asking for prompts from any of you, and I'll be writing largely from my default script that I made waaay back when this first started. I need to know your thoughts on the matter, because trust me, I can definitely write your characters. It's a matter of whether or not you think you have the time, or want to control everything your character does (but come on, how can I show off my writing skills when I contribute barely anything to the main characters of the story?)**_

* * *

 _ **Anyways, I hope you guys did like the chapter, and thanks for reading ^.^!**_


	9. Ep 2: Creative Differences (Elimination)

_Location: Po'ino Bonfire (Elimination Ceremony)_

 _Contestants:_

 _Ka Malu O(Watching): Deamian, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Dominique, Briand_

 _Honua(Particpating): Zubin, Astral, Lucy, Kaleaf, Lina, Galiris, Kevin_

"Welcome, Honua." Chris said. "To your first Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony. How are you all feeling?"

"Angry." Most of them answered.  
"Angry at yourselves? An interesting direction to take."

"Not at myself." Lucy said.

The Ka Malu O members grinned at each other.

"Chris, maybe we should talk about the elephant in the room."

"More like the elephant _not_ in the room." Zubin said. "If Steven hadn't switched when he did, Things could very well have become the exact opposite of what they were."

"We were only...a point and a half behind Ka Malu O." Astral said. "D-during the first half of that challenge. If he had waited to switch…"

"They'd likely be the ones sitting here tonight." Kevin said.

"Except that it _didn't_ happen that way." Julia mimicked Katrina's voice. "And now we sit here, and you sit there."

"Well…" Kaleaf said. "There _are_ other reasons to explain why we lost."

"I can certainly think of a few as well…" Lucy's eyes shot towards Kevin.

"We had more players than Ka Malu O did and I knew a few of them wouldn't jump." Kevin mumbled, looking into the fire instead of at Lucy. "I didn't know Steven would switch like that."

"If I could say a few words in Kevin's defence…" Zubin said. "While I personally don't agree with his decision, I can at least see why he did it, and why he did it _when_ he did it. Immunity Tikis are incredibly important in this game after all, and when Kevin has the added challenge of needing to overcome aspergers, I can see how he might end up accidentally rubbing team members the wrong way."

"Ugh...just vote Zubin off already!" Maddie said from her seat, causing everyone to look at her in confusion.

"No." Kaleaf responded. "I'm voting based off of performance."

"Performance?" Chris asked.

"I think he means…" Astral said. "That he's voting f-for the person who scored lowest on their a-art…."

"Yeah! You're so cute, Astral!" Maddie called from the bench, causing Astral to shift away nervously, closer to Zubin's seat.

"Lina, Galiris, you've been quiet so far." Chris said. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Um…." Lina looked back at Deamian who had angry and sad eyes fixed on Kaleaf, and then to Kaleaf, and then to Deamian, and then back to Chris "Really, really awkward?" She asked in response.

"Hm…" Chris turned to Galiris. "Galiris, what about you?"

"Disillusioned." Galiris replied. "I thought I could be that fun flirty girl that brought everyone on this team together, but clearly I was wrong."

"Kaleaf." Chris pointed out. "I saw a small smirk just now. Let's spill that out in the open for everyone to see, shall we?"

"I uh…" Kaleaf shook his head. "It's nothing it's just...It surprises me is all."

"What does?" Galiris asked.

"Do you know how _annoying_ that flirty and peppy attitude can get?"

"I know how annoying a sour, loner, unpredictably grouchy attitude can get." Galiris replied.

"Oooh, they better vote him off…" Deamian mumbled from beside Julia. "His lips on my Lina? If they don't send him home, I'll make sure he's sent home medically.'

"Chris, I get that you like, live for digging up drama, but let's get back onto the topic at hand. I can understand Zubin's defense of Kevin's actions, but to me, I don't think it _excuses_ them. We all understand why Steven took the Twist Tiki and switched right away, but none of us have really _forgiven him_ for it."

"That's...a good point." Lina said.

"Speaking of good points, Lina…" Chris smiled. "Would you care to explain why your friend is eyeing Kaleaf with such distaste?"

"Um…." Lina blushed and quietly shrank into her seat.

"He's upset because he saw us kiss." Kaleaf answered.

"Oooooh!" Chris's eyes lit up as he turned towards Deamian. "That's gotta _suck_ bro! And the worst part is, no matter what happens here tonight, you'll _still_ have to put up with one of them!"

"Just...just start the vote…" Deamian turned away with a pout.

"Wait, before that…" Kaleaf said. "If I could just say one thing to everyone?"

"Sure. We've got a bit of time." Chris shrugged.

"Tonight…" He said. "I'm voting for the person who got the lowest score. It's an empirical measurement and cannot be denied that they therefore performed the worst in today's challenge."

Galiris stood up. "I'd also like to say a few words, if I may."

"Fine…" Chris said. "Whatever, just keep it short."

Galiris nodded and turned towards the rest of the team.

"The reason I planned that large welcome party on our first day here was to bring this team together, so that we could all spend time and bond with each other. It's my belief that bonding with teammates boosts morale and ability to do well in challenges. I plan to vote for the person who remains the most enigmatic, unpredictable, and to be blunt, needlessly violent on this team, in order to make it an easier place for others to get to know and bond with each other."

"Is that all?" Chris asked as Galiris sat down and Astral stood up.

"Really?" Chris asked.

"Um…" Astral spoke in a soft voice. "I'm voting based on what I believe...and I believe t-that Honua should play fairly…."

"Alright." Chris said. "That's it! No more speeches. Now, let's go vote. Astral, why don't you go first?"

Astral walked up to the jar and parchment off camera to vote.

After she returned, Lucy stood up, and casted her votes.

When Lucy came back, Kaleaf stood up, gave Lina a smile, and went to cast his votes.

When he returned, he sat next to Lina and gifted her his phone and headset as a memento, just in case.

After which, Lina herself got up and went to go cast her votes. She seemed to be having trouble deciding between two people.

When she did finally return, Kevin got up to go cast his vote.

When he came back, Galiris stood up and slowly walked to the jar to cast her vote.

As Galiris sat back down, Zubin, the last Honua left to vote, walked up to the jar. He stood at it for a small while before deciding upon his vote and heading back to the bonfire pit.

"I'll go tally the votes." Chris said as he walked off camera, leaving the Honua and Ka Malu O members sitting in silence.

After a few minutes, Chris returned, this time with a bag of leis.

"All right." He said. "The votes have been tallied. I only have _six_ leis in this bag. If I call your name, come up and receive a lei of your favorite color. If you do not receive a lei, then you have been voted out, and you can't come back. Enemumumumunubuh…" He mumbled quietly.

"What was that last part?" Zubin asked.

"It's not important." Chris assured everyone. "What _is_ important is that if you have an Immunity Tiki or Twist Tiki and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so."

Zubin looked around.

Kevin shifted in his seat.

Galiris ran a hand through her hair.

Kaleaf and Lina both gave each other nervous glances.

Lucy stretched from her seat.

Astral began to fiddle with her ritual knife.

"Ah-" Chris began.

"Chris." Kevin stood up.

He slowly walked to the host and handed him a tiki.

Chris inspected it. "This _Is_ indeed an Earth Immunity Tiki." He announced.

He held the bag of leis out to Kevin. "Kevin, go ahead and take your lei."

Chris turned back to the rest of Honua as Kevin took out a deep blue lei. "And remember, any votes that any of you might have cast against Kevin now no longer count."

Chis looked around at the rest of the campers, smiling.

"Lucy." He said.

Lucy gave a relieved sigh and walked up to Chris to receive a yellow lei. She put it around her shoulder and joined Kevin at Chris's side.

"Astral." Chris announced.

Astral slowly stood up and walked over to Chris, who pulled a navy blue lei out of the bag and handed it to her.

She gently wore the lei around her neck and joined the others.

"Lina." Chris smiled.

Lina looked over at Kaleaf, worried, but he returned her concern glance with a kind one and a slight nod before she went up to Chris to receive her aquamarine lei.

As Lina took her place with everyone else, Chris looked at the three remaining Honua campers.

"Zubin." He said.

Zubin gave a relieved sigh before walking up to receive his black lei. He put the lei around his neck and joined the others.

"Kaleaf, Galiris…" Chris announced. "There is only one lei left in the bag. You both had your names written down during the voting. I mean, so did Kevin, but he's up there now."

He turned to Kevin. "Good move bro! You'd have been tied with the loser tonight in terms of votes if you hadn't played that tiki!"

"Just get on with it, Chris." Kaleaf rolled his eyes.

"Please…" Galiris pleaded.

"Fine…" Chris said. "The final lei goes to…"

He paused.

Kaleaf's fist clenched.

Galiris's leg began to jitter nervously.

Chris pointed up to the air, and slowly, very very slowly, brought his finger down.

He moved it between Kaleaf and Galiris for a little while, before bringing it back up for a bit.

He took a breath, and reached into the bag…

To pull out…

A bright orange lei.

"Galiris." He said.

Galiris's muscles relaxed as she stood up, walked to Chris, and received the last lei of the evening.

"Kaleaf…" Chris turned to Kaleaf. "I'm sorry bud, but it's time for you to go."

"No!" Lina ran up to Kaleaf as he walked towards the Hang Glider of Shame.

"Yes!" Deamian said, before hitting his forehead. "Stupid!"

Kaleaf gave Lina one last long, chaste kiss before he put his hands on the Hang Glider of Shame.

"I guess you chose trust over challenges." He said to his team. "Well...It was nice getting to know my team...don't betray each other…" He said with an almost resigned and kind smile before he jumped to catch a breeze, while humming a familiar tune to him.

"And with that we are down to 21!" Chris said into the camera.

"How will Steven fair on his new team? Can Honua recover now that they're down to only six? And when will the producers greenlight my season?! Find out, next time!

On Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _ **AN: So, after talking it over with everyone, although there were some opposed, the majority of you have approved a switch in style towards the Zero Sum chapter format. The next episode will be a single chapter, character story time will be more evened out, and starting next episode, you'll be able to see who voted for who at the end of the chapter, after everything has been decided. For those of you that didn't 'want' this, I ask you at least give it a chance. If you don't like it, that's fine, but I'm not going to back down on the decision to shift to a more Zero Sum writing style. I also think you'll find the pacing is better while the ideas behind your characters haven't changed. If any of you would like to 'resubmit' a more long-term and thought out strategy for your characters, I'd be more than happy to take those into account when writing.**_


	10. Kaleaf's Final Confessional

*Kaleaf's Final Confessional:

Kaleaf sat there with a calm smile. "It...it was really fun the past day & a half hanging out with my teammates..." He said before shedding a couple of tears & sniffled a little. "Sighs...maybe I'm getting a little too ahead of myself when I punched that tree..." He tried to put on his headset only to realize he gave them to Lina & laughed lightly. "Right...I forgot...haha~" He chuckled little before humming the tone his mother sang to him. "Before i go i want to sing this song...it's called ゆりかごのうた or A song of a Cradle..." He cleared his throat before singing

"ゆりかごのうたを

カナリヤが歌うよ

ねんねこねんねこ

ねんねこよ

ゆりかごのうえに

枇杷の実が揺れるよ

ねんねこ ねんねこ

ねんねこよ

ゆりかごのつなを

木ねずみが揺するよ

ねんねこねんねこ

ねんねこよ

ゆ りかごのゆめに

黄色い月がかかるよ

ねんねこねんねこ

ねんねこよ" After the song finishes, the confessional ends with Kaleaf waving slightly at the camera.

End Confessional*


	11. Ep 3: This Cursed Dream

**_AN: It's the new episode format debut!_**

* * *

 _*Chris's Recap_

"Last Time! On Total Drama:

"Sparks began to fly last episode! Some more impressively than others.

Hayes, the poor unfortunate Hayes, had a heart attack caused by the venom from his snake bite, and became Total Drama Nui Kaua's first medical evacuation, but not before winning the heart of Alice, the pop singer. Nixia managed to capture Evan's attention, and did I sense something between Clay and Cassandra? At Ka Malu O camp, Dominique was attempting to bring the team together, but, as to be expected of Ka Malu O, none of them listened to her at all! Julia gave Katrina quite the hair-pull, hah-hahh. At Honua camp, Zubin found the Maple Tiki, which would grant only original Honua members the right to vote at the Po'ino Bonfire ceremony should it be played, which he cleverly put in the same pocket as his rock in order to hide the tiki right under everyone's nose. Well played, Zubin. Kaleaf and Lina shared a moment on the beach, but when a curious Deamian asked questions, Kaleaf _lost_ it. Steven and Aleister spent their free time in the Honeymoon Cabin, searching everywhere, but finding diddly squat. Maddie began to make moves on Stephanie, and then we started our challenge. It was two-fold, jumping for art supplies, or a fabled Twist Tiki, and then creating artwork to impress our guest judges of Peter, Helen, and Conlan, from Total Drama Zero Sum.

"The campers were also given the choice to not jump in exchange for hints to Immunity Tikis hidden around the island, which absolutely _none_ of the Ka Lani members took. This host might have to do something about that! Ka Malu O found that both Katrina and Briand decided to look for their Immunity Tiki instead, which Katrina _did_ end up finding, giving a possible free immunity to the one contestant no one wants here. Kevin was the lone Honua member to get the clue to his team's Immunity Tiki, and it was good luck for him as well, because thanks to a combination of Kaleaf's reckless behavior wasting time, Steven obtaining the Team Shift Tiki and immediately switching over to Ka Lani, and Galiris's attempts to impress Helen overshadowing her common sense to not build near the tide, Honua found themselves the odd team out and heading to elimination.

"Before the elimination ceremony began however, Kaleaf and Lina shared a tender kiss on the beach once more, and unfortunately, a heartbroken Deamian was there to see it. At the ceremony, The once thought to be well-organized and well-structured Honua had devolved into a bunch of arguing teens. A watching Maddie made advances towards Astral, and yelled at Zubin. But most of Honua's anger was directed towards Steven, the one person they couldn't vote off.

The names that came up were Kevin, Galiris, and Kaleaf, and while the vote was close, a clutch play of the Immunity Tiki he had just won by Kevin was enough to send Kaleaf home. We have 21 contestants left, and we're going to put one camper out of this show's misery. Will Honua bounce back with only 6 players after one episode? How will Steven fair on Ka Lani? Will either Alice or Pierre find out the secret to the Honeymoon Cabin? And who will end up with the dreaded Curse Tiki? Find out, right now! On Total...Drama...Nui Kaua!

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Cassandra, Steven, Stephanie, Evan, Nixia, Aleister_

"So Steven, I just want to say…" Stephanie said as all of Ka Lani hung out outside their cabin.

"Don't worry about what Honua says, everyone on this team is glad to have you here. I'm sure Alice is very happy."

"Yeah." Steven said as he looked off towards the Honeymoon Cabin where Alice and Pierre were staying. "I just hope she's okay in there."

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"I used the Team Shift Tiki right away so that I could be near and protect Alice easily! But now she's trapped in a cabin with that creepy Pierre guy! I guess I'll just have to talk to my new teammates and get to know them in the meantime. Stephanie in particular seems pretty cute."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ahhh…" Clay relaxed. "You seem relaxed." Cassandra smiled as Clay stretched.

"It's a good day on this island today." Clay answered.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Because Pierre isn't around to pester the ever living *BLEEP* out of me! It's nice to have a bit of a break from the guy."

End Confessional

* * *

"The weather is really nice." Nixia smiled. "I think I'll go for a walk through the forest."

"Can I go with you?" Evan asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

"I don't see why not." Nixia shrugged.

"Be careful you two!" Steven called out.

"You don't need to worry about us." Aleister put a hand on Steven's shoulder. "We're all strong here."

"Um-"

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"So far, everyone on Ka Lani seems really nice. The only one I can't get that good a read on is Aleister, but he doesn't seem bad, just like he's trying way too hard to be tough."  
End Confessional

* * *

"So?" Cassandra punched Steven in the shoulder. "You think you're ready to face your old team when the challenge is announced?"

Steven scratched his head. "I hadn't thought very far ahead when I used the tiki." He admitted. "I have no idea how they're going to act when they see me."

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Well, I can certainly guess."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Zubin, Kevin, Lucy, Astral, Lina, Galiris_

"Another lap around the island!" Galiris shouted.  
"You know what?" Lucy stopped running. "No. I'm not going to run anymore! Why are you even doing this?"

"Because I want to make sure we beat Ka Lani into the dust in the next challenge." Galiris answered. "And for that to happen we need to be at top levels of performance. My dad's crew members never complained when he put them through workouts."

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Gal, I hate to break it to you, but we're _not_ a crew of sailors. We're a bunch of teenagers who want a million big ones. Your desire to win is getting in the way of your common sense."

End Confessional

* * *

Astral fell to the sand. "Let's….stop…." She spoke through heavy breaths.

"No rest for the weary." Galiris responded as only Kevin really kept up with her.

"If Kevin and I lap you, you have to run an extra time around!"

"Hey…" Lucy said as Galiris and Kevin took off.

"Lina, Astral, I'm having a bit of voter's regret right now. How about the next time we lose, we vote captain hardass off?"

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"I didn't seriously mean it, yet. But I am seriously frustrated right now!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I don't want to vote _anyone_ off, but, y'know, as long as it's not me!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Astral: Honua

"I suppose….." Astral was fiddling with her ritual knife. "We….don't….need captain….hardass…"

End Confessional

* * *

"What the-?" Zubin ran up to where the girls were resting on the beach in front of their cabin. "Is Gal finally done?"

"No, she's doing another lap." Lucy rolled her eyes. "But screw that. My legs hurt, and I want to relax. We just had to vote someone off. I need to unwind."

"Maybe we could go for a quick swim in the lake then." Lina suggested. "Astral, Zubin, care to join us?"

Galiris and Kevin returned to find the four other Honua members playing around in the lake.

"Come on, captain hardass!" Lucy called. "Lighten up for a little bit! You too Kevin, get over here!"

Kevin began to get ready to join them while Galiris continued to run laps.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"There's nothing I'd like to do more than swim right now, but I don't want to take any chances. If my crew is staging a mutiny, then fine. I'll carry us on my own."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Deamian, Katrina_

"The fuck is his problem?" Katrina asked Julia as she pointed at a pouting Deamian in the corner of the cabin. "We _won_ the last challenge."

"I think he's upset about Lina and Kaleaf hooking up…" Julia mimicked Bridgette's voice.

"Well, he should go be upset somewhere else. I'm trying to read."

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to support your teammates once in awhile." Dominique walked up to Katrina. "Go over and ask the fool if he needs anything or something. You haven't helped us do squat since you arrived here."

"I am not a therapist, nor do I want to be anywhere near any of you." Katrina replied curtly before getting up to leave the cabin. "I'm going to read in private. Tell me how the challenge goes."

"You're gonna skip this one too?!" Dominique's voice cracked. "Tell me I did _not_ just here you say that."

"If you want to run around like idiots all day, that's fine!" Katrina shrieked. "But don't lump me in with any of you! I have an IQ of-"

"Oooh!" Maddie rose her hand. "187! Woo! I got the correct answer, time to treat myself to some chocolate…"

She began digging through her belongings for a chocolate bar.

"Fuck all of you." Katrina sneered. "Even with the snake boy locked away, you're still unbearable."

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"That Katrina is getting on my last nerve. I want her off this island pronto!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"They can get as angry at me as they want, but they don't want to lose challenges, and even if they do…" Katrina holds up her immunity tiki. "I won't be the one going home. I suppose the one advantage of a team full of idiots is that you always know what to expect."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ugh, why did we not vote her off back when we lost the first time again?" Dominique asked Julia, who shrugged in return.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Well, my reason for not doing that was to help secure a special alliance between her, myself, and Pierre, and also to keep someone no one likes around. When you have _that_ person, it's sooo much easier to fly under the radar."

End Confessional

* * *

"Campers!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers in the center of the island. "Please report to the mess hall for a 'back on the air' brunch buffet! Chef and I have spared no expense for this, which is _really_ rare, so get your butts over here on the double!"

A mixed collection of cheers and groans came from the remaining contestants as they made their way to the mess hall.

Well, except for two.

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre, Alice_

"The mess hall is hosting a brunch and I am not there to bask in my splendor?" Pierre seemed distraught as he sat down on the bed and motioned at the wreck of a cabin he and Alice had created in searching for the secret Twist Tikis.

"And not a tiki to be found. It's as though the universe is having a bad fashion day and attempting to shield me from the outside world."

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"Pierre is...well, he's exactly what I thought he'd be like from what I've seen of him in the challenges. I don't think he's said a single word to me that he actually wanted to hear my response to, unless it was a question like if I saw the tikis in a certain area or something. I just hope Steven is okay on my team. It seemed like he made his old one really mad by joining us."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Unfabubelievable." Pierre puts his hands on the counter and looks into the camera directly. "The twist tikis alleged to be in this cabin have either already been found or are a complete lie. I searched every corner of the place and couldn't find them."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mess Hall_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Nixia, Clay, Evan, Cassandra, Steven, Stephanie, Julia, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Deamian, Katrina, Lina, Lucy, Kevin, Astral, Zubin, Galiris_

"Look at all the grub!" Briand exclaimed as he began to dig in.

"Aw, I've worked up a sailor's appetite this mornin'" Galiris exclaimed as she also began to chow down on food.

"Eat plenty of it." Chef laughed. "Cuz you ain't getting dinner tonight."

Any contestants who were hesitant to eat the meal before began to eat upon hearing that their dinner had been canceled.

"Ohmygosh-Chocolaaate!" Maddie rushed towards all manner of chocolate donuts and other pastries at the end of the buffet table.

"Deamian-" Lina tried to reach out to talk to her friend.

"Don't talk to me." Deamian turned away.

"Deamian, I'm sorry if your feelings were hurt, but you've never made it clear how you felt about me, and I just-"

"Look, I just don't want to talk right now, alright?" Deamian asked. "And put those headphones away next time. It'll give you more credibility."

Lina clasped the headphones she had received from Kaleaf and frowned as Deamian went off to eat alone in the corner.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I seriously don't understand Deamian's problem. He's a couple years late to admit he likes me, and he never acted this way when I told him about various crushes I've had before. Not to mention he flirts and goes out with other girls all the time and-" The camera cuts out for a bit. "Not to mention the _other_ Thanksgiving where-" The camera cuts out for a while again. "-And so why on Earth am I the one at fault here?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey, guys, maybe hold off on eating _too_ too much food okay?" Julia asked as she noticed Dominique and strangely enough Katrina, both eating like the world was ending.

"I have a physical form to maintain." Dominique answered through a mouthful of food. "As such I have a high sense of metabolism and need to take in a certain amount of food each day. If we aren't going to have dinner, then I'm not going to be able to perform at my best."

"Well, what's your excuse?" Julia mimicked Heather's voice as she turned towards Katrina.

Katrina rose the middle finger.

Julia rolled her eyes.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Doesn't anyone watch this show anymore? Sure things are a bit different, but this is _clearly_ a prep for the Awakeathon challenge from TDI! We have a numbers advantage over Honua, and I don't want to have to go back to the Po'ino Bonfire unless it's to watch some other team vote off someone!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Zubin asked the rest of Honua. "I'm pretty sure that Ka Malu O's planning something…"

"Paranoia is a serious problem." Lucy nodded as she took a chicken leg and placed it on her plate.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Lucy jokes, but Julia seemed worried about the amount of food her team was consuming. I think I'll play it safe too."

End Confessional

* * *

"What's that Ka Malu O boy doing over there by himself?" Stephanie wondered to the rest of her team as she pointed at Deamian.

"Huh." Steven shrugged. "Poor guy looks down. Should we invite him to sit with us?"

"Clay, what's wrong?" Cassandra asked Clay as she looked at a full plate of food in front of him. "Are you not hungry?"

"I'm just a little concerned about something." Clay responded as he watched Silivia the snake slither through the mess hall. He looked at Chef. "Can I take my food and eat at my cabin?" He asked.

"If you don't want any more'n what you already got, sure." Chef shrugged. "But you leave those doors, you don't get to eat another morsel for the rest of the day."

"All I needed to know." Clay said as he got up and left, taking his plate with him.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Clay_

"Alright…" Clay took out his guitar case, where he had hid his Legacy Tiki. "It's still there, but-"

He noticed Silivia slithering up to the cabin's open door.

"I thought so." He grumbled as he shut the case and sat on it.

Silivia entered and looked at Clay, and then at the guitar case.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Clay joked. "Did you want to look inside the case?"

The snake nodded her head.

"Sorry, but only Ka Lani members are allowed to even look _at_ my stuff, much less look _through_ my stuff. If you really want to see what's in this case, you'll need to find a way to switch teams."

Silivia gave Clay a hiss.

"How do you think I feel?" Clay responded. "I'm talking to a snake."

"Hey, Honeymooners and Clay!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers. "Get your butts up to Mt. Immolate and listen to what this episode's challenge is going to be!"

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Today's challenge…" Chris said to all the sitting campers. "Is a tried and true Total Drama classic, The Great Awakeathon!"

"I knew it!" Julia stood up.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! And since I knew it, I spent the whole buffet and the trip up here coming up with the _perfect_ strategy to win this!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"An awakeathon? Perfect. Once Clay falls asleep, I can look through the guitar case that Silivia has told me about! He can't hide his tiki forever!"

End Confessional

* * *

"The rules are fairly simple." Chris explained to everyone. "Each camper will try to remain awake, with their eyes open, for as long as humanly possible. If you fall asleep, even for a minute, you're out. First team with all campers asleep goes to elimination. Last team with a camper awake gets to watch. Now, we understand that as teenagers, you lot have a lot of trouble sleeping as it is, so that's why, instead of Chef and I trying to put you all to sleep with boring stuff, we've brought in Total Drama Zero Sum competitor Rudo whose planned a lot of fun activities to drain you of all your energy for us, which you _have_ to participate in, or remain silent and doing nothing for the complete duration of the activity. Finally, _do not_ be the first to fall asleep. If you are the first to fall asleep, you won't like what happens to you when you wake up."

As Chris stopped talking, a helicopter came in and Rudo descended down the ladder, before jumping and landing on the mountain with both feet.

"Oof…" She stretched her back to reorient herself. "Hi guys! It's nice to meet all of you! Who wants to start an arm-wrestling tournament?"

* * *

 _Challenge Rules:_

 _Contestants must avoid falling asleep with either periods of complete silence, or an activity planned by TDZS contestant Rudo, spread throughout the challenge. The last camper standing wins it for their team. The first team to lose all campers to sleep will send someone home. The first camper to fall asleep will be given a massive penalty._

* * *

 _The Challenge_

 _Hour 1_

 _Arm Wrestle Tournament: Dominique, Briand, Galiris, Clay, Evan, Steven, Aleister, Cassandra, Deamian, Lucy, Zubin, Julia, Pierre, Stephanie, Maddie_

 _Silence: Katrina, Nixia, Alice, Lina, Kevin, Astral_

 _Dominique V Briand_

The two contestants seemed evenly matched for quite a few minutes, both straining heavily on the other one. Everyone participating watched wide-eyed while Rudo made sure no one was cheating.

* * *

Confessional: Rudo

"I tried to come back as a judge last episode, but Chris offered to pay me more if I hosted the challenge that no one he previously asked wanted to. So I decided I might as well entertain myself while doing it."

End Confessional

* * *

Eventually, Briand was able to push Dominique's arm to the side of the table this was happening on.

"Briand advances to the next round!" Rudo announced.

"Hey, I'm part of the activity still though, so I can talk right?" Dominique asked Chef.

"You _can_." Chef said, implying strongly that he did not prefer it.

 _Galiris V Clay_

"Sailor girl versus beard rocker." Dominique said as Rudo began the match between Galiris and Clay.

"You're stronger than I thought you'd be, even for a sailor." Clay said to Galiris.

"You're stronger than I thought you'd be as well." Galiris responded. "But I'm not losing to a Ka Lani."

"Oh, yes you will." Both their grips tightened.

"No...I...won't!" Galiris pushed through, winning the match.

"Alright, that's Gal advancing…" Rudo made a note of who was winning. "Evan and Steven are up next."

 _Evan V Steven_

Steven was able to put up a good fight, but Evan ultimately claimed victory in the match. "Good match." Steven said as he shook Evan's hand.

"Yeah." Evan replied.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"I have proven myself the alpha against Steven. I now just need to win this tournament to make myself the alpha of all Ka Lani. It's the way wolf packs work, it should be the same in the real world...right?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Aleister V Cassandra_

"A girl?" Aleister asked as he sat down opposite Cassandra.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cassandra asked.

"Well, you're simply too dainty to-"

"Rudo, start the match!" Cassandra snapped.

"Gladly." Rudo glared at Aleister as she started the match.

Aleister won with ease.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"I want it on the record that I am neither dainty nor weak. Aleister's strength was just inhuman. The hell did he eat this morning at the buffet?"

End Confessional

* * *

Lucy ended up defeating Deamian, Julia managed to beat Zubin, Pierre claimed victory in his match with Stephanie, and Rudo beat Maddie without even trying.

Briand and Galiris then began the second round of the tournament, where Briand was able to claim victory once more.

Evan and Aleister then fought, both in their own minds, for the title of Ka Lani alpha, which neither one would truly become to the rest of the team, though Evan was the contestant who emerged victorious.

Lucy and Julia faced off against each other, and Lucy won quickly, which Julia seemed perfectly happy with.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I need to do the activities so that I'm allowed to talk. Now, I can focus on my strategy." She began to clear her voice before she mimicked Ella from Total Drama Pahkitew Island. "Ahhh~" She began to sing softly. "Time for a lullaby~!"

End Confessional

* * *

Julia began to hum a lullaby tune for those who had already finished their arm wrestling matches, paying specific attention to Stephanie, who seemed to be incredibly relaxed already.

Unfortunately, unknown to Julia, Dominique, who was also in earshot of the lullaby, heard the song as well, and fell asleep just a split second before the cheerleader.

"Both Ka Lani and Ka Malu O are down a camper!" Chris announced quietly. "Can-" He was cut short by Galiris slumping to the ground. "Nevermind!" He said. "All teams down one."

Pierre's match with Rudo ended in his victory as he moved onto the semifinals of the tournament.

Briand's match with Evan resulted in a win for Briand as he advanced to the finals.

"Woo!" He cheered. "Finals of the tournament, finals of the reality show, same diff, am i right?"

"No, you aren't." Evan grumbled as he joined the others.

Lucy and Pierre began their semifinal match.

"Your team got rid of that violent boy?" Pierre asked.

"Yes." Lucy replied, "But stop trying to distract me from the competition with idle talk."

Pierre shrugged slightly before pushing Lucy's arm back. "Sorry for attempting to make some small talk before your glamorous defeat."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Well, I did not expect either of you to be in the finals of the arm-wrestling tournament." Rudo said to Briand and Pierre. "But, here you both are. 3...2..1..go!"

"Hahaah!" Pierre was quicker to react and Briand couldn't get his strength up before his arm touched the side of the table in defeat. "It appears, according to your logic Briand, that I have just won the show!"

"It was a joke." Briand tried to defend his previous boast. "If an arm wrestle was used to determine who made it to the finale-"

Rudo snickered. "Yeah, that would be silly, wouldn't it?"

* * *

 _Hour 13:_

 _Contestants Still In Challenge_

 _Ka Lani: Aleister, Clay, Evan, Cassandra, Steven_

 _Ka Malu O: Pierre, Julia, Briand, Deamian_

 _Honua: Lina, Kevin, Astral, Zubin_

"And Maddie has just fallen asleep.." Chris announced quietly. "Perhaps she shouldn't have done so many of Rudo's activities in a row…"

"Alright…" Rudo sighed as Julia pleaded with her. She turned to everyone. "Alright people who are still awake, I've got a request from Julia. We're going to hold a singing contest. I've been told that there won't be a singing challenge this season, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to have one now."

"Astral's down.." Deamian announced as he noticed Astral had fallen asleep.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Things aren't looking good for us, we went into this challenge with less people than the other teams, so we need to stay awake longer than them, but…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

"Huh? Where am I?" Dominique wondered aloud as she woke up on the sandy beach of Kokoke Island.

"I think I see-" She looked out on the horizon, at camp Nui Kaua across the lake.

"What in the-?"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Well, at least this place as a confession cam, because good lord does it not have anything else. Why the hell am I even here? Chris? You gonna explain this business or what?"

End Confessional

* * *

"My clothes are dry, so I don't think I washed ashore here or anything…" Dominique patted herself down.

She stopped.

She felt something strange in her pocket.

"Oh _tell_ me someone wasn't going through my pants while I was out!"

She lifted out a strange package that she unwrapped to find a note alongside a tiki in the shape of a skull.

"Well this is just great." Dominique spiked the skull to the ground. "Julia's damn singing gone and got me cursed!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"'Congratulations'" Dominique read off the note that came with the Curse Tiki. "'You have discovered Twist Tiki #5, The Curse Tiki, as the bearer of this tiki, you, and you alone, will reside here on Kokoke island for the rest of your duration in this competition. You will find all the materials you need to build a shelter scattered throughout the island, and Chef will bring you two meals a day from the mess hall. As the bearer of the Curse Tiki, every time you are present at an elimination ceremony, you already have one vote against you. Furthermore, you are not permitted to speak at elimination, save for publicly stating the name of the person you plan to vote off the island, which is how you _must_ vote whenever your vote is asked for. You are also not permitted to explain your reasoning behind the vote. You remain on whatever team you have been on thus far, but are no longer allowed to speak with teammates outside of official challenge time. If you are holding this tiki during the merge, you may ignore the aforementioned rule. If you are voted off, you must pass on this tiki to a contestant of your choice. If you are in possession of this tiki in the final 3, you may ignore all rules of this tiki. Good luck, you need it. -The interns'" Dominique finished reading. "This tiki sucks! No wonder Chris was so happy when he said we didn't want it! How the hell am I supposed to play the game?" She sighs. "Well, I guess I better go build a freakin' shelter…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Docks_

 _Hour 20_

 _Ka Lani Left: 5_

 _Ka Malu O Left: 3_

 _Honua Left: 2_

"You guys are holding up _terribly_." Chris said as he came in to see that only Briand, Clay, Lina, Julia, Deamian, Aleister, Steven, Zubin, Cassandra, and Evan were still awake and in the challenge.

"It's Julia's freaking singing!" Lina complained as she pointed at Rudo, asleep on the dock. "It even made the supervisor fall asleep!"

"I said no…" Clay shielded his guitar case from Silivia. "Even with your owner asleep after the dance contest, you're still pestering me about this?"

Silivia nodded.

"I didn't know you could talk to snakes." Cassandra yawned as she got closer to Clay. "What's she saying?"

"I don't have any idea, but she wants me to open my guitar case, and I'm not going to."

"Is it because she's an animal?" Evan asked.

"No, it's because she belongs to-, wait, why does that matter?"

"Animals have feelings and desires too." Evan replied as he stood up and stretched. "I'm going to-"

He stopped and looked down.

"Chris, I think Briand fell asleep on my feet."

"Psst, Briand…" Chris whispered. "I'm gonna wake you up now, okay buddy?"

He nudged Briand off the dock and into the water.

" _Cold_!" Briand jumped up. "Really cold, cold water!" He ran towards the cabin as Chris laughed.

"And now for our sleeping supervisor…" he crept towards Rudo.

As he touched her shoulder, she immediately woke up and grabbed his arm before tossing him into the lake.

The awake contestants cheered.

"Huh?' Rudo looked around, before realizing what had happened. "oh...um...Sorry Chris…."

"If you fall asleep, or ruin my perfect hair again…" Chris called from the lake. "You won't be getting paid for this!"

Rudo gulped.

* * *

 _Hour 24_

"We are 24 hours in…" Chris announced as he came to check on the campers again.

This time, Deamian, Lina, Steven, Zubin, and Julia were all that were left.

"I put a few of the boys through some wrestling." Rudo explained. "Clay and Evan were both out like lights after that, and well, Cassandra can be counted among the victims of Julia's singing."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Things are going _great_! I'm *yawwn* totally making these guys fall asleep one by one. Soon I'll be the *yawn* the last one left…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"It's only Lina and I left awake right now, but Ka Lani is down to only Steven, which reminds me-"

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey Steven…" Zubin crawled up to Steven, as all the contestants still awake were too tired to stand up completely without disorienting themselves. "Do you have a minute to talk?"

"What about?" Steven asked.

"Well, why did you, you know?"

"Right." Steven looked down. "It's because of my step sister, Alice. She's on that team, and our father, a bad man, recently escaped from prison. I'm worried he's going to come here, for Alice."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Man, Lucy was right. Paranoia is a thing that exists. It's just not me who has it."

End Confessional

* * *

"Deamian…" Lina tried to approach Deamian again.

"No, go away." Deamian mumbled.

"Deamian, I left my headphones behind this time, please."

Julia began to hum a lullaby upon hearing what Lina said.

"I just want to make sure we get rid of whatever bad blood you think is between us."

Deamian turned, reluctantly, to hear what Lina had to say, to instead see her sleeping thanks to Julia's lullaby hums.

"Julia, we were about to talk!" He got angry. "Why did you-?"

"We're not going to lose this challenge!" Julia said, mimicking Courtney "We've got the other two teams down to one competitor each now, and we're going to send them off to snoozeville now!"

Julia continued to hum her lullaby.

Zubin plugged his ears and Steven did the same.

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"It might look a little silly, but it's kept us awake through her song thus far."

End Confessional

* * *

In a few minutes, Julia had sung herself to sleep.

The hours began to pass by as the final contestant from each team left did whatever they could to continue staying awake.

Until, finally,

* * *

 _Hour 35_

 _Ka Lani Remaining: 1_

 _Ka Malu O Remaining: 1_

 _Honua Remaining: 1_

"Alright." Rudo stretched as she stood up. "I've got an idea. The first one of you three to fall asleep gets to eat dinner with me in the guest cabin. We have room service, along with television, it's great."

* * *

Confessional: Rudo

"None of that is actually a thing. Chris just told me to say that at the 35 hour mark."

End Confessional

* * *

"We all *yawn* know that's not true…" Zubin yawned.

"Alright then…" Rudo looked through some cards that Chris had prepared for her. "Um...Once upon a time...there was a land far, far away. A proud wizard-"

She looked back to see if anyone had fallen asleep yet.

No one had. In fact, her story seemed to interest them.

"What did the wizard do?" Steven asked. "What happened to him?"

"A proud wizard enchanted a spear that he boasted was so powerful that it could pierce through anything, but his equally proud rival wizard boasted about a shield he enchanted to be so durable that nothing could pierce it. The two wizards decided to present their enchantments to the king to determine which of the two was more powerful. 'We have brought you two items of incredible strength, your highness.' said one of them. 'For this spear can pierce through anything'. 'Yet this shield' the other eagerly continued. 'This shield is so sturdy that nothing can pierce through it.' The king narrowed his eyes at the two wizards. 'Do you both take me to be such a fool that you tell such blatant lies to my face?' He asked. 'If you have a spear that can pierce anything, and a shield that can't be pierced, what would happen if you were to attempt to pierce the shield with the spear? Neither can exist alongside the other one.' The king then had both wizards jailed for their false advertisement."

"What's the moral of that story?" Deamian asked.

"Wasn't it don't lie?" Steven wondered.

"Or possibly don't claim something as fact if it can be contradicted so easily." Rudo suggested. "I don't really kno-oh...there we go."

Zubin had thunk himself to sleep, trying to figure out whether the spear or shield would beat the other one.

"It looks like Honua loses once again!" Chris announced quietly. Their team of six is about to become a team of five! But let's see who gets to watch it happen."

Another hour passed.

Rudo watched intently as both Steven and Deamian fought to stay awake.

Both kept jumping up as soon as they realized they were falling asleep, but neither one was able to stay entirely conscious for very long.

Both finally began to slouch over and fall onto the ground.

Rudo got closer for a better look.

 _Thud._

"The winner of the Awakeathon is…" Rudo grabbed the winner's hand and rose it up from his sleeping position.

"..."

"Are you going to announce the winner, Rudo?" Chris asked.

"I'm pausing for dramatic effect like the card said to." Rudo responded.

Chris gave an almost proud nod as he handed her the microphone connected to the loudspeakers.

"The winner is…

…

…

Deamian and Ka Malu O!"

"So…" Chris took the microphone back from Rudo. "Ka Lani, Ka Malu O, it's time you guys decided on who to send to the Honeymoon Cabin!"

The teams got together and talked amongst each other for a while.

"Ka Lani, which Ka Malu O are you sending over?"

"We've decided to send Deamian over." Cassandra announced on Ka Lani's behalf. "It seems like he could use the rest, and he also seems like he wouldn't want to watch Honua's elimination."

"And Ka Malu O…" Chris turned to the winning team. "Your Ka Lani Honeymoon choice?"

"We decided on Stephanie, since she was the first Ka Lani to fall asleep." Briand announced on Ka Malu O's behalf.

"Alright, Stephanie and Deamian, up on the Chefmobile…" Chris motioned towards Chef's car as Chef led the two campers to the vehicle before driving them off into the woods.

"Honua…" Chris turned to Honua. "It looks like I'll be seeing you at the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony again!"

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

"Hey, Dominique, how are you holding up?" Chris asked as he approached in a speed boat.

"I made a freakin' shelter." Dominique pointed to what looked like a tarp made out of bamboo and palm fronds. "What do you want? My team didn't lose did they?"

"No, you're team actually won!" Chris smiled. "I'm here to take you to the Po'ino Bonfire so that you can sit there in silence as Honua votes off another member!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"I don't care about Honua! I just don't want to be cursed! This tiki is hella unfair!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s)_

 _Ka Malu O(Watching): Pierre, Julia, Dominique, Briand, Maddie, Katrina_

 _Honua(Participating): Lina, Kevin, Lucy, Galiris, Zubin, Astral_

"And here we are again, for the second elimination in a row." Chris smiled at the Honua team. "Why is it that the Earth team seems to be having the most problems? Astral, want to shed some light?"

"I...um…." Astral looked around. "We... have a lack ...of numbers?"

"Most of us fell victim to _that_ one's singing." Zubin pointed at Julia.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Suck it, Honua! Ka Malu O takes first _again_!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"So, I've met with the alliance of four, and we're thinking about voting Astral off, so unless something stupid happens again, that should be the one who goes home."

End Confessional

* * *

"Galiris." Chris grinned. "You were determined to not come back here again, yet here you are, right back here, again. How does that make you feel?"

"I don't have anyone to blame but myself tonight." Galiris answered. "A team's performance is often dependant on its captain, and I didn't captain well enough to win."

"Do the rest of you agree that Galiris is some kind of team captain?" Chris asked with the devil's smile.

"Well, she certainly became a hardass overnight." Lucy complained. "And she isn't as fun to talk to or pal around with as before, but she's adamant and makes decisions, so sure, whatever, I'd say she's a sort of captain."

"It's too bad her ship sank." Katrina couldn't help remarking on the loss.

"I guess it's time to vote." Chris smiled as he looked at the time.

"Zubin, you're up first."

Zubin walked up to the jar.

"Nothing personal. Just sticking with a plan." He announced before walking back.

Lina was next.

She walked up to the jar and wrote down her own vote.

"You had to know this was coming." She said before heading back to the bonfire.

Lucy was sent up next.

After her it was Kevin's turn.

"You're nice, but that's not what this game is about."

He returned to his seat and Astral was sent up.

Finally, Galiris walked up to cast her vote.

She took a deep breath. "There we go." She said as she finished writing the name down and headed back to the bonfire.

"Alright." Chris walked away from his podium. "I'll go tally the votes and be back with your leis."

Chris soon returned.

"Alright. If I call your name, come up and receive a lei in your color. If your name is not called, you are eliminated and must take the glide of shame off of the island immediately."

He reached into the bag of leis. "But before I go on. Does anyone have an immunity tiki or twist tiki that they would like to play?"

Zubin shifted in his seat.

Kevin's eyes darted around at everybody.

"Alright then." Chris said as he reached further into the bag. "Remember, you hear your name, you come up and get a lei."

A moment of silence passed before Chris called out the first name.

"Lucy." He said.

Lucy walked up and took her yellow lei, wrapping it around her wrist like a bracelet.

"Lina." Chris called Lina's name.

Lina walked up to receive her aquamarine lei. She put it around her neck, exchanged a quick smile with Lucy, before becoming serious again to watch the rest of the elimination ceremony.

"Kevin." Chris announced as Kevin walked up to receive his deep blue lei.

"And Zubin." Chris smiled as Zubin got up to retrieve the black lei that Chris had pulled out of the bag.

"Alright, ladies…" Chris looked at Astral and Galiris. "There is only one lei left in this bag. Galiris, you've been trying to work your team to the bone for revenge which you failed to obtain, and Astral, you don't seem to do much of anything, and you're the only Honua member who seemed to fall asleep for no reason. The others were either due to Rudo's activities or Julia's lullaby songs. The way I see it, Honua has reason enough to send you both home, but there's only one hang glider waiting by the edge of the mountain, so here goes!"

Galiris's eyes narrowed.

Astral began to fidget with her knife.

"The last lei…" Chris began.

Julia watched on, intrigued.

Pierre gave Silivia a pet.

"Goes to…" Chris continued.

Katrina read through her book.

Maddie bit into a chocolate bar.

Chris then slowly pulled out the last and final lei of the evening.

"Please come up, and receive your lei…" He said, pausing for effect.

…

…

…

Chris took a breath.

…

…

…

". . . Galiris." Chris held up a bright orange lei.

Galiris slowly stood up, and retrieved her lei.

"Astral…" Chris said. "It looks like you're out."

"I suppose…." Astral walked towards the hang glider. "It's what I expected…"

She gave her team one last look, before slowly bringing a thumbs up to them.

"Fight hard for me, but….not too hard...that was scary, and I'm an occult fan."

"Oh, we will!" Lucy replied.

Everyone on Honua moved in to give Astral a goodbye hug.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Now see, Honua might have lost two in a row, but at least the members of that team _respect_ eachother. I wouldn't mind being cursed nearly as much if I was with them, but no, I'm stuck with all these evil people…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, come on guys, remember that this show has a time limit…" Chris broke up the hug and ushered Astral towards the hang glider. Astral limply waved goodbye for she ran off, a gust of wind carrying her to a separate island in the lake.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Whew, that worked out well for me. Not only has the alliance I've been trying to make finally been cemented, but both Galiris and Lucy are willing to make Galiris look like the brains of this team! That's perfect! I don't want to be pinpointed as a threat after all."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, it looks like Total Drama is back in business!" Chris exclaimed as he looked into the camera. "We now have an even 20 contestants left standing, and you can be sure that we're going to whittle them down to 19 soon enough. Can Ka Malu O continue their winning streak? How will Dominique deal with The Curse Tiki? Will Honua ever find proper footing again? And how will I be able to worm my way out of paying Rudo? Find out the answer to most of these questions and more, next time!

On Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!

* * *

*Astral's Final Confessional:

"I suppose I knew….that something like this….would happen. I don't….talk much….and I'm kind of shy…..especially around strangers. But at least I wasn't the first one out! I wasn't even the first one voted off on my team! That's already farther than I expected to make it. I am a little sad...I wanted to prove even an occult freak could win...but I'm still happy I got to meet everyone on Honua. I hope we can be friends after the show is over."

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Astral voted for…Galiris_

 _Zubin voted for…Astral_

 _Kevin voted for…Astral_

 _Lina voted for…Galiris_

 _Lucy voted for…Astral_

 _Galiris voted for…Astral_


	12. Ep 4: Flag Fighting Love

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua...

"Coming off of losing not one, but two of their teammates, Honua found themselves in Galiris's personal boot camp, which did _not_ sit well with any of them. Dominique continued to attempt to bring Ka Malu O together, but between Deamian's pouting about Lina and Kaleaf, and Katrina's complete refusal to treat anyone on this show with any respect, Dominique's plans once again failed.

Speaking of failure, Pierre and Alice spent their time in the Honeymoon Cabin looking for the hidden twist tikis, but couldn't find either of them. Meanwhile, Pierre's snake Silivia attempted to look for Clay's Legacy Tiki, which he vigilantly defended.

The challenge was an Awakeathon, a callback to this show's second challenge ever, and many of the tiring activities were planned out by guest judge Rudo from Zero Sum. Dominique was the first to fall asleep thanks to Julia's singing and became the first bearer of The Curse Tiki, moving her to solitude on Kokoke Island. Julia managed to single-handedly eliminated most of the competition for her team, before singing _herself_ to sleep leaving Steven, Deamian, and Zubin the last three left awake.

Zubin learned of Steven's reason for switching teams so suddenly, and after a story about a contradiction, thought himself to sleep, sending Honua back to elimination for the second time in a row, while a tired Deamian and well-rested Stephanie from the 1st place and 2nd place teams were sent to the Honeymoon Cabin.

At the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, Galiris received a lot of heat for being so focused on winning that she ran the team into the ground, but the Honua majority alliance of Lucy, Kevin, Zubin, and Galiris stuck together during the vote and Astral, the occult fan, was voted off. Honua pleasantly surprised Dominique by being both respectful and caring during the ceremony, attributes missing from the Ka Malu O team. We are down to 20 contestants remaining! Who will seize victory for their team, and which contestant's elimination flag is about to rise? Find out right now on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

' _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Alice, Steven_

"I wonder how Stephanie's doing in the Honeymoon Cabin." Alice said as she, Steven, and Aleister all relaxed on the porch of their cabin.

"Same." Steven agreed. "Deamian looked really depressed practically all week. I hope it doesn't ruin Stephanie's peppy vibe for the team."

"Pfft." Aleister gave a 'don't worry about it' gesture. "If you worry your head off every time a cute girl heads to a cabin, you'll be pegged as this team's weak link. Us men must be tough and strong for the ladies."

"You can just ignore him." Alice smiled at her brother. "He's only trying to save face because he really likes feminine things."

"Wha- Well don't _tell_ him that!" Aleister stood up from the chair he was sitting in.

Steven began to laugh. "Aleister, I bet this is the one team where whatever you like doesn't matter. I don't think anyone will judge you for it. And to answer your previous statement, I'm not worried about Stephanie, it's just that with her gone, there's no one for me to flirt and gossip with."

"Ah...I suppose you have a point." Aleister sat back down. "Nixia and Cassandra don't seem like very flirty types. Stephanie certainly is better company if that's what you're looking for. With this in mind, I invite all three of you, Stephanie included, to form an alliance!"

"I mean, with those others pairs running around our team…" Alice looked into the forest. "Sure, I can get behind that! Stephanie's been a good friend of mine, and I don't have to go against my step-brother so, yeah!"

"And I need as much protection as I can get." Steven agreed. "I'm towards the bottom of this team after all. I don't know anyone besides Alice terribly well over here."

"Then it's settled." Aleister nodded. "We'll tell Stephanie during this week's challenge."

The other two agreed as they all turned to watch the ocean.

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia_

Clay was once again practicing in the clearing while Cassandra watched, sitting on a closed guitar case.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"I don't have a single goddamn clue why, but when I asked Clay if I could watch him practice again, he told me I needed to use the guitar case as a seat. I mean, sure, but it was kind of a weird request."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Pierre and that damn snake of his have been following me around since he returned from The Honeymoon Cabin. I guess he didn't find the tikis he was looking for, otherwise he might be satisfied enough to leave me alone for once."

End Confessional

* * *

"How was that?" Clay asked as he finished practicing.

"It fuckin' rocked!" Cassandra held out a fist as she stood up. "You okay dude, you've been looking around the clearing all day."

"Just making sure that guy's snake isn't around." Clay muttered.

"What the hell man?" Cassandra asked, somewhat offended. "I told you I'd say anything if I saw it. Would it kill you to just trust me? Clay, you're a cool dude and all, but when you look around for animals, you get all paranoid, and I gotta be honest, it's a bit of a turn-off."

"I can't help it. I have trouble trusting others." Clay replied.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"When I was 14, my family and I got into a car crash. It killed my parents and both my younger brother and sister. I was the only survivor." He lifts up his shirt to reveal a large scar across his heart and chest. "And even then, I barely made it out of that alive. For a brief moment of time after that, when the news got out, a lot of kids at school pretended to be my friend, but they all only kept up their act for around a month until the news of the car crash died down. I ended up doing things I'm not proud of, and served multiple stints in juvenile detention. After that, even those I truly did consider my friends would avoid me. People leave you. If you put your trust in anyone, they will break that trust. I want to trust Cassandra, but I also don't want to dump all this information on her only to be wrong in my judgement and drive her away. That would only make my situation worse."

End Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, Nixia had led Evan to where a couple of monkeys were sitting in trees, eating bananas.

"See, look at all these bananas!" Nixia exclaimed. "We could bring a couple bunches back for the rest of the team!"

"Oh man, actual food and not whatever Chef made for breakfast today!" Evan said as he grabbed a banana, peeled it, and began to eat.

Nixia joined him.

"Mmm! Fresh fruit tastes so much better than store-bought!"

"You mean fruit at stores isn't fresh?" Evan asked. "Then why doesn't everyone just grow a garden or something? There's no beating this taste!"

"Well, the fruit is still ripe, and it's usually altered to bring out more flavor, or to make it bigger. Most tomatoes in the wild won't look as big as a tomato at your local produce store." Nixia explained. "That's why I like taking walks in the woods and scavenging for lunch. I get to spend time with all the plants and animals of nature, and I get to eat delicious food while doing it!"

"Right?" Evan asked, excitedly. "Hey, while we're here, let me show you how to make a shelter without disturbing the natural habitat!"

"Ooh!" Nixia clapped her hands together excitedly. "Show me! Show me!"

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Man, where has a girl like Nixia been all my life?!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Evan is so sweet, and knowledgeable about nature and survival, it's great! He also likes it that I really like nature! I was so worried that he'd become like Sherwood or Kaleaf and just avoid contact with anyone on the team, but this is our fourth walk through the woods together in a row! He's like my dream come true!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

"This is a freakin' nightmare..." Dominique said with little enthusiasm as she lay on a mat of grass and tossed one of the rocks nearby into the lake full of three ships of wreckage from the previous season. "I'm starvin'...I can't talk to my own team outside of challenges...Though that's a plus I guess. Screw them. Chef's food that he brings me is inedible, and now whenever my team goes to elimination, I can only say out loud who I'm voting for, and can't give any other input _and_ I already have a vote against me."

She turned to the camera.

"Come on man, talk to me! I'm about to go insane over here!"

"I'm not supposed to talk." The intern behind the camera replied.

"Ugh…" Dominique looked at her Curse Tiki. "I hate my team so much..."

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Deamian, Stephanie_

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"So, it's just me and Deamian here, and he's pretty cute, and was a _huge_ flirt in the first few days of this show, but ever since the second challenge, he's been more mopey than anything, and I don't want to talk to that! I was even going to try to make an alliance with a member of another team, since those can go a really long way, but he just...moped. So eventually, I decided to figure this guy out."

End Confessional

* * *

"Seriously, what's gotten into you?" Stephanie asked Deamian as they both rested on the honeymoon bed. "You were doing nothing but flirting with anything that moves, and now, just because one girl kissed one guy you're going to mope around all day? Have you never heard of moving on with life or something?"

"You don't understand." Deamian replied. "Lina was...she was…"

"Yeah, _was_." Stephanie emphasized. "Not _is_ , not _will be_ , but _was_. I bet she wants you to move forwards. Find some girl you like on your own team or something. You're a hottie! It shouldn't be too hard!"

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"Dominique was cursed, Katrina is Katrina, Maddie hates me, and Julia...Yeah, she hangs out with Pierre way too much. I don't have anyone on my team that I can flirt with."

End Confessional

* * *

"What about you instead?" Deamian offered. "We're trapped in this honeymoon cabin after all."

Stephanie laughed. "Hah! You think you'll get me to want to kiss you after your pity party? I gave you the hottie remark, quit while you're ahead, love."

At around the time Stephanie said 'love', a hatch in the ceiling opened and two packages dropped down, landing in Stephanie's and Deamian's hands respectfully.

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"The secret of the cabin was to say the word 'love'? Really? That was it?"

He holds up his twist tiki which was the male symbol and begins to read the note that comes with it. "Congratulations, you have discovered Twist Tiki #11, The Grounded Guys Tiki! You may play this tiki when you are present at an elimination ceremony. Upon playing this tiki, all male contestants are given immunity, but lose their ability to vote, leaving the female contestants to decide amongst themselves which of themselves to eliminate." Deamian sighs as he crumples the note and puts it in his pocket along with the Twist Tiki. "And Stephanie has one that likely does the same thing, but for the female contestants instead. And now that we've got the tikis...I guess the only point of sending others to Honeymoon would be to keep them out of their team's social loop. Not that my team had a social loop in the first place."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

"What's this about?" Zubin asked as he and Kevin walked into the cabin to see it all decked out for a party.

"Gal took one of the fishing spears and caught and grilled a bunch of fish for us!" Lucy explained after swallowing a bite of her grilled fish. "Sailor girl can cook some killer seafood!"

"Sailor girl _can_ cook some killer seafood!" Zubin exclaimed after he took a hesitant bite of the meal. "But why?"

"I messed up last week." Galiris said. "I'm doing this as an apology to you guys. I'm used to working with crews of men twice my age with half my education. I should have known better than to apply the same techniques my father uses with them towards you guys. I just wanted a way to show that we're all still friends here. No more captain hardass, I promise! Let's go and win ourselves a challenge for once!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Twice in a row now, I've almost been eliminated, and I don't want that to happen again, so I'll be feeding my team some _real_ food instead of Chef's...whatever that was this morning. We'll be full of nutrients and ready and focused for whatever challenge comes our way!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Lucy reminded me of something just now. Gal is a sailor girl. She'd probably agree to be the second paddle if I asked her to go canoeing. I have someone I want to check up on. I can't do it now though, she just got back from catching a bunch of fish. I'll wait until next week. But since I'm already working on inroads into Ka Lani with Clay, I should try to see about aligning with some Ka Malu O too, and the easiest one, in my opinion, to bring into my game would be Dominique, who lives in solitude on Kokoke Island. She's respectable, smart, and physically fit. Another person who I would both get along with and not seem like a threat next to."

End Confessional

* * *

"Don't worry, Kev!" Galiris said as she noticed Kevin's hesitation to eat. "Go ahead and take as much as you want!"

A few seconds passed before Kevin walked up to the grill and took a fish off of it.

"Is there something you boys ought to say to Gal?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, right, thanks Gal." Zubin took a quick break from eating the fish.

"Kevin?" Lucy asked.

Kevin focused on eating and didn't respond.

"Kevin!"

"Hey, don't snap at him!" Lina reminded Lucy. "Remember what he told us when we all first got here?"

"O-oh...right. I guess I forgot, sorry."

"Hey, Kev." Galiris squatted down and looked Kevin in the eyes, which he attempted to avert.

"Aw, I don't bite. I bet before the show's over you'll be able to look me in the eyes without getting nervous. In any case, it makes me really happy that you like the fish I grilled. I just want to know if there's anything you might want me to do different next time I grill it?"

"It's a little charred." Kevin mumbled, still avoiding eye contact.

"Noted." Galiris patted Kevin's leg. "And next time you avoid eye contact, maybe you could avoid fixating on my chest? You'll make me nervous too if you keep that up."

"Okay." Kevin said as he looked away entirely.

Galiris smiled before moving over to Lina to make sure she was having fun, while Zubin began to sit by Kevin.

"You weren't too freaked out by all that in your face social interaction were you, buddy?" Zubin asked.

"Um…" Kevin looked down at his leg. "I don't know. Her eyes were pretty though."

"That's...good…" Zubin said, thinking.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Hm...Galiris is still the number 4 in this 4 person alliance, and I'm not sure I want Kevin getting too close to her, but I also want to keep up the illusion that this was all her idea. I _might_ be able to kill two birds with one stone if I invite Kevin along on the canoeing trip to Kokoke I plan to take later...Yes, that works. That works…" Zubin spends some time in the stall thinking before realizing he hasn't left. "Whoops." He says before leaving.

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Briand, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

"I'm telling you, she's not going to help us for squat. We need to get rid of her." Briand campaigned for Katrina to go home while Katrina pleasantly read her book, not at all bothered by the conversation.

"She's as useful in challenges as a toothpick is for washing dishes!"

"She does have quite the unfantabulous aura about her." Pierre agreed as he pet his snake. "And anyone who doesn't know their fashionology is not a welcome member of my increglamourous team."

"No!" Maddie refused. "If anything, one of you icky _boys_ should leave!" She shuddered as if even uttering the word 'boy' was painful for her. "Only pretty girls belong on this team!"

"It should be enough to just be pretty." Pierre said as he admired himself in a mirror. "And I am, after all, the overcommandlord of this team. We all can agree on that, right Julia?"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

Julia is mimicking Heather. "Let Pierre think he's in charge, watch Pierre get on everyone's nerves, let Pierre take the fall whenever our team loses a challenge." Julia switches back to her own voice. "Of course, he won't be voted off, since not only do the two of us have an alliance with Dominique and Briand, but _I_ have an alliance with Katrina, and that's enough to send anyone I want home next. Hey, I'm on Hell Team for a reason, you know."

End Confessional

* * *

"Of course we can!" Julia mimicked Lindsay's voice. "Totally, Katrina next!"

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"They can plan to vote me off all they want, but I still have the Hell Immunity Tiki. I'm not going anywhere. I can afford to be arrogant. Besides, Maddie is a wild card that no one really trusts, Deamian has done nothing but mope, Dominique is _cursed_ , which means she leaves even with a tie against her, and it's only a matter of time before Briand does something stupid that I can exploit to get some votes against him."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey, how do you guys think Dominique is doing by herself?" Julia asked, mimicking Bridgett.

"Dominique is really strong! She's probably fine, and eating chocolate!" Maddie exclaimed.

Her stomach growled as if on cue. "Ooh, anyone have any chocolate?"

Her stomach growled again.

"No. No one has any chocolate. Go eat your own." Katrina said without looking up from her book.

"Katrina, you should eat some too, skinny." Maddie huffed as she took a chocolate bar and a lighter from her bag.

She lit the lighter and began to sneak up towards Katrina. "If you don't eat, your hair might fall out…" She giggled.

"Whoa, whoa!" Briand and Julia rushed up to stop Maddie and restrain her.

"Ewww! Eww! I'm being touched by a boy!" Maddie struggled as Pierre began to laugh at the spectacle before him.

*BZZZZT*

"Attention Losers- I mean campers!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers. "Will everyone please gather in the Nahele Forest? It's _Challenge Time_! Dominique, you can consider official challenge time right now as well. Feel free to talk to your team once you get here. If you want anyways. I know I wouldn't, hah hah!"

"Sorry, batshit crazy girl." Katrina said as she stood up. "You'll have to fail to flambe my hair some other time."

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"And here are our honeymooners!" Chris announced as Chef brought Stephanie and Deamian out on the ATV.

"Someone's looking a lot more cheerful." Dominique noted Deamian's perfectly content expression.

"I had a wonderful time with Stephanie." Deamian said. "Let's just leave it at that."

Lina who had heard the conversation, bit her lip and balled her hand into a fist.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Oh, so that's how it is huh? You act all pissy and mopey the second I get a boyfriend, and make me feel like complete garbage, but then, when I try to apologize to you, you go out and fool around with some dumb blonde? You're _always_ like this Deamian, and you know what? I've had it! You better hope that time you spent in the honeymoon cabin was worth losing your best friend over!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"It would be totally stupid of me to explain that Stephanie and I found the two twist tikis that were there. That would paint a target on my back with my tiki-obsessed team for sure. Now, hopefully during the challenge I can find time to have a talk with Lina. I really need to apologize for the way I was acting. Man, it's a wonder what finding a tiki can do for your psyche!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Today's challenge…" Chris explained. "Is a three team battle of good ol' Capture the Flag. The first team to bring another team's flag all the way back to their own base wins the challenge, while the team whose flag was taken becomes the losers! It's really that simple. Except of course, the fact that once again, the whole island is your battlefield! And also…" Chris turned to Ka Lani and Ka Malu O. "You two will need to decide on sitting out three of your members, Ka Lani, and two of your members, Ka Malu O. The teams need to be even for this one."

"Hey…" Alice whispered to Steven. "Why don't we both sit out with Stephanie? That way we can tell her about our alliance."

Steven nodded. "Plus, it would be beneficial if none of us could be blamed for losing the challenge, and Aleister can hold his own out there if it's just Capture the Flag."

"We'll sit out." Alice offered to the team as she motioned to her and Steven. "And maybe we should let Stephanie readjust too, since she's been cooped up in the honeymoon cabin all week."

"It is pretty hard to readjust after being in there." Steven agreed.

"That makes it Aleister, Me, Nixia, Evan, and Cassandra." Clay said. "I think we've got a pretty good capture the flag team. Let's do it."

"Who should we sit out?" Braind asked.

"Are you serious?" Dominique looked over at Maddie who was playing with a lighter as well as Katrina who was reading her book. "Sit out the pyromaniac and miss 'I won't help you' over there!"

"Are you sure you can do this though?" Julia asked, mimicking Courtney's voice. "You _have_ been in exile this whole time."  
"And I'm sure after this challenge is over i'll start to think of it as a vacation." Dominique said. "I'm probably still in the best shape of all of you."

Briand coughed.

"Maybe you've got me beat, Briand, maybe."

"Chris!" Pierre asked. "If we burn our flag does that mean-?"

"If a flag is destroyed, that team will _totally_ lose." Chris laughed. "Talk about failing to protect your flag."

"Then indeedubitably, we shall sit out Maddie and Katrina." Pierre agreed with Dominique.

Katrina snickered.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Ahh, yet another dumb challenge I need not be part of. Now none of those idiots can blame a loss on me."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Challenge: Capture The Flag_

 _Rules: 5 members of each team are tasked with both guarding their own flag, and capturing a flag from either opposing team. While in another team's territory, if you are tagged, you must accompany your tagger back to their base where you will wait in a 'jail' area for one of your teammates to tag you back out of jail and rescue you. The first team to have an opposing team's flag back at their base wins the challenge. The team whose flag was captured will be sent to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, where one of them will become the next person to leave the island._

 _Ka Lani: Aleister, Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia (Alice, Stephanie, and Steven sitting out)_

 _Ka Malu O: Briand, Deamian, Dominique, Julia, Pierre (Maddie and Katrina sitting out)_

 _Honua: Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

 _Ka Lani Base: Near Muliwai River Mouth_

 _Ka Malu O Base: In Nui Kaua Field Center_

 _Honua Base: Nui Kaua Beach Near Entrance To Nahele Forest_

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Base_

 _Contestant(s): Briand, Clay, Dominique, Evan, Julia, Kevin, Pierre_

"Hyaaah!" Briand roared as he chased Kevin away from the Ka Malu O base.

"Yeah, you better run, Honua!" Julia called out after him.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I wasn't trying to get the flag. Our team is scouting the areas out first for our strategy. Ka Malu O all seem to be at their base at the moment, which could change, but Ka Lani seems divided into groups, which, in this challenge, is a disadvantage for them."

End Confessional

* * *

"Evan!" Clay called as he motioned towards an open flag while Pierre and Dominique chased after him.

"Oh no you don't!" Dominique left Pierre to chase Clay away while she rushed up to defend the flag from Evan. "You're not getting _this_ flag, Ka Lani!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"I am _not_ going to let my team lose this challenge. If we head to elimination, _I'm_ already closer to being eliminated than anyone else here, and I don't wanna risk that at all, especially when I can't talk to any of them outside of challenges."

End Confessional

* * *

"And...gotcha!" Dominique announced as she lay a hand on Evan. "You better hope someone can come in to save you now, because y'all are _out_."

Evan growled as he sat down in Ka Malu O's designated jail zone, guarded by Julia.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Base_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Lina, Lucy, Nixia_

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"So, Lucy and I went ahead to scout out the Ka Lani campsite and…"

Postpone Confessional

* * *

Lina and Lucy stopped short as they noticed Nixia and Cassandra guarding their flag.

Not only were both of the girls standing watch, but so were quite a few forest animals, including monkeys, a bear, a few birds of prey, and a panther.

* * *

Resume Confessional

"Is there some sort of druidic magic going on with that team that we should know about? What were all those animals doing there?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Heehee, I'm really good with communicating with animals. They tend to want to help me out! They helped me out during the tag challenge on the first day here, and they'll help me out again today!"

End Confessional

* * *

Cassandra clearly looked uneasy around so many dangerous animals gathered in one place.

"Nixia...you sure none of these things will bite me?" She asked as she did her best to ignore the panther's glaring gaze.

"I'm sure! They've never bitten me before, and I spend time with them every day!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Yeah, that doesn't inspire confidence, nature girl. I _don't_ spend time with them every day. I'm a stranger to those things!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I think we've got enough intel here." Lucy said to Lina as they hid behind the bushes. "Let's get back to camp."

Lina nodded, eager to get out of the area.

* * *

 _Location: Honua Base_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Clay, Deamian, Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Pierre, Zubin_

"Clay!" Aleister called from the Honua base. "Clay grab the flag!"

"I'm a bit busy right now!" Clay called back as he continued to avoid Pierre while running through Honua's base.

"Pierre, bro over here!" Deamian called to Pierre from the jail.

"You shall have to wait in patientude a while more!" Pierre responded to his teammate's plea for help. "For I _will_ get my hands on the tiki this one holds!"

"Zubin, I've got the flag!" Galiris called. "You do something about those two!" She pointed at Clay and Pierre.

"Got it!" Zubin rushed after them.

"Ah!" Galiris turned to see that Kevin had returned. "Kevin, great timing, what's Ka Malu O look like?"

"They _were_ all centered around their base." Kevin replied, trying his best to look away from Galiris, who was in turn trying her best to force eye contact. "But they've split up since then and they captured Evan."

"Alright!" Deamian cheered from the jail. "At least he's been caught. That dude would no doubt cause some problems for us."

"Also…" Kevin said as a defeated Briand walked into the jail. "He followed me into our territory, so I tagged him too."

"Dude…" Deamian shook his head, disappointed. "I was caught because I was actually _sent_ here. Why didn't you-?"

"And, got you." Zubin brought Pierre back to the base's jail. "Man, our jail is filling up quickly."

"Good." Galiris said. "More prisoners means less people out there to steal this flag. What happened to Clay?"

"He was...too fast for me, he got away. I didn't want to follow him into Ka Lani territory when you told me only to guard the base."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"No, that was a lie, of course. I could have tagged Clay if I wanted to. He seemed winded and tired, as though he'd been chased around the entire island. I _let_ him go free. Clay is my Ka Lani ticket to making it farther in this game, and I want to build up trust with him, especially if I can end up with his tiki should he be eliminated."

End Confessional

* * *

"Yo, guys!" Lucy called as she and Lina returned to the Honua base.

"Yeah?" Zubin turned to ask.

"Ka Lani's got animals guarding their base! We could totally get their flag if it weren't for those things. No matter how fast any of us _think_ we are, we can't outrun a freakin' panther."

"I have an idea." Kevin said. "Is there any leftover fish from Galiris's party?"

All of Honua's faces turned to mischievous smiles.

"I just love that brain of yours, Kev." Galiris laughed as she gave Kevin a firm pat on the back. "I'll head back real quick and get it. You tell Lucy and Lina your plan and guard the flag for me while I'm gone."

Kevin nodded.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Base_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Evan, Julia_

"Where the hell is the rest of our team?" Dominique asked Julia.

"Hopefully grabbing a flag." She answered, mimicking Katrina. "Otherwise they've totally failed this challenge for us. Neither one of us is capable of defending our base on our own, let alone stealing another team's flag."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Seriously! Betwen Pierre being fixated on Clay instead of helping us guard like we should, Briand never coming back from chasing Kevin off, and Deamian, I assume getting captured while he was scouting, it's like we could blame _any_ of them if we ended up losing this challenge!"

End Confessional

* * *

"You're upset about your team?" Evan replied. "How come my team hasn't come to rescue me yet?" I'm fast and good in nature, this is my challenge! They better have a good reason for not sending someone to come get me!"

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Base_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Nixia, Zubin_

"What the actual hell?" Clay asked as all the animals began to turn on each other for the pieces of dead fish that all the members of Honua were throwing everywhere.

"Their flag is completely unguarded if they're all here!" Cassandra called. "Nixia, Clay, someone go and get it!"

"My animals won't listen to me right now!" Nixia replied. "Where is Aleister, he was supposed to be back from scouting by now?"

"Oh, is _that_ what he was doing?" Galiris asked as she avoided being tagged by Cassandra.

"Because he charged in saying he was tough enough to grab our flag when I tagged him."

"That guy…" Clay sighed. "Aight, I'm going!" He rushed towards the Honua camp.

"Lucy!" Galiris called. "You stall him as much as you need to! Kevin, Lina, Zubin, blitz them!"

Lucy took off after Clay while Kevin, Lina, and Zubin all charged through the fighting animals towards the flag.

"Hoooonuaaaa!" Zubin called as he grabbed the flag.

"I'm open!" Lina called as Zubin tossed her the flag like it was a javelin, before Cassandra tagged him.

Lina then began to run towards Honua base.

"Lina." Kevin said as he ran up beside her. "We're setting a pick."

"Huh?" Lina asked before she saw Galiris and Kevin form a wall, blocking Cassandra and Nixia from advancing respectively.

"We're out now." Galiris smiled. "Looks like you two have to bring us back to your base's jail."

"Shit." Cassandra cursed as she kicked up dust. "And we sent Clay into your territory so…"

"It's a battle of who gets to their own territory first." Kevin explained. "And unlike Clay, who has Lucy to slow him down, Lina has no such opponent."

* * *

 _Location: Honua Base_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Briand, Clay, Deamian, Lucy, Pierre_

"Aleister!" Clay exclaimed as he tagged Aleister out of jail before doing anything else. "Listen! Honua probably has our flag! You need to rush over there and tag that person otherwise we're finished!"

Aleister nodded. "Leave it to me. I don't care how tough he thinks he is, he's no match for Aleister!" He exclaimed before heading off into the jungle.

"You gonna grab the Honua flag and make that team lose for the third time in a row?" Deamian asked. "Man, and I thought _we_ were the Hell Team."

"If I didn't have biker chick after me, I'd steal your flag instead." Clay retorted before grabbing the Honua flag and turning to see Lucy running out of the woods.

"You aren't getting through here!" She said to Clay as she grabbed Aleister by his shirt collar and tossed him towards the jail.

"You thought you could send him in? Nuh-uh!"

Clay took a deep breath before beginning to sprint.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I need to do this…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I _have_ to do this…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"For Ka Lani!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"For Honua!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Producer's Tent_

 _Contestant(s): None_

The screen in the producers tent was split to show Clay and Lina running in opposite directions, each bearing the opposing team's flag.

Many of the interns were busy eating popcorn as Clay sprinted past Lucy, who turned to go after him again in an effort to tag him before he reached Ka Lani territory.

Chef stole some popcorn from the interns as Clay and Lina both crossed into their territories at the same time.

"We're almost there!" Chris exclaimed excitedly. "The first one of those two to put their opponent's flag in their base is the winner of the challenge and will send the losing team to the Po'ino Bonfire Ceremony!"

Lina sped up as her base came into view.

Clay sped up as he noticed his base as well.

"Go, Lina, Go!" Deamian cheered.

Lina gave him a cold glare as her grip on the flag tightened and she began to run even faster.

"Come Clay, you've got this!" Cassandra cheered for Clay as he began to push himself.

Both contestants made their way to their bases.

And both tossed their flagpoles like javelins, in order to stick them in the ground where they needed to be to win the challenge.

"And Time!" Chris announced on the loudspeakers. "We have our winning team and our losing team!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Oh, oh thank goodness Ka Malu O didn't lose this. I was _not_ looking forward to goin' to an elimination."

End Confessional

* * *

"Our winners this week are…" Chris announced, pausing for dramatic effect.

"Team Honua! Finally manages to emerge victorious for once! Narrowly avoiding a third defeat in a row!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"YESSSS! Honua finally wins one! We owe it to your plan Kev!" She winks into the camera with a grin. "You come up with more of those in the future and share them with me, alright?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"We won? We won?! I beat Clay? Oh this is great! We get to see Ka Lani go through their first official elimination ceremony! Oh wait… I guess there _is_ still the honeymoon cabin to deal with. One of us won't be able to watch."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Well, we lost, but strangely enough, I don't think I'm on the chopping block while there's still Evan, who only ever really talks to Nixia, Aleister, who didn't even do what we asked him to do this challenge in an effort to maintain his fake tough guy act, and Steven, who was originally Honua. I know I don't want to vote off Evan, because I can identify with him, so I think it might be time for him, Nixia, Cassandra, and I to come together and discuss which of the other four to vote off."

End Confessional

* * *

"Honua…" Chris grinned. "Choose someone from Ka Malu O to send over to Honeymoon, and Ka Malu O, you choose someone from Honua!"

"We choose Kevin!" the trapped Ka Malu O members all said at once.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Kevin was the brains behind today's winning straplanagy. As such, it would be wise for us to cut his ties to his team."

End Confessional

* * *

"Honua chooses…" Galirs turned back to Zubin. "You sure?"

Zubin nodded.

Galiris turned back. "Honua chooses Pierre."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Pierre, the contestant that is giving Clay the most trouble. It wasn't much of a stretch to convince Gal about the choice either. He's already been once before, and him going again would help to stir doubt towards him among the other team members. I'm sure I've said it before, but I'm playing the long game, and I intend to win."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Aleister, Alice, Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia, Stephanie, Steven_

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"So, Alice and Steven told me about our alliance with Aleister, and considering the other four are really just two pairs of two, I decided to accept."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright…" Steven said as he, Alice, Aleister, and Stephanie all sat on the beach while the other four were in the cabin, also strategizing.

"We need to come up with someone to vote off. Personally, I like the idea of voting off Nixia. Honua might not have gotten our flag if they couldn't use the animals to their advantage."

"I agree." Stephanie nodded.

"Then we know our vote?" Alice asked with a smile.

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"Our alliance has come up with a bit of a chart for things. First, we vote off Nixia, then Evan, then Clay, then Cassandra. Cassandra is being kept the longest as a repayment for her looking out for me while Steven was on Honua."

End Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, the other four were talking.

"Are you sure about it? You won't just flip on us?" Evan asked, warily.

"I'm sure." Clay replied. "We all vote Aleister. His personality is detrimental to our success in challenges. Not to mention it can conceivably be counted as a reason for why we lost this one."

"Hrm…" Evan looked around. "I'm not so sure we can pull it off. Those four outside are all really close, and I doubt any of them will flip."

"Aleister might." Cassandra suggested. "We tell him to vote off Alice since she's not 'strong' and we might be able to get him to push the vote in our favor."

The four of them all looked at each other as Nixia pet a cockroach as it crawled by.

"Let's leave." Clay decided. Evan and Cassandra both enthusiastically agreed, while Nixia just shrugged and went along with the crowd.

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Honua(Watching): Galiris, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

 _Ka Lani(Participating): Aleister, Alice, Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia, Stephanie, Steven_

"Campers…" Chris said as he got back from tallying the votes.

"I have with me a bag of leis. If I call your name, you come up and get a lei. If you do not receive a lei, you must immediately take the Hang Glide of Shame off of the island, and you can't ever come back to this competition."

Chris gave the camera a knowing wink.

"What was that just now?" Cassandra pointed out.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Chris smiled at Cassandra before giving the camera another knowing wink.

"That! That right there!" Lucy stood up from her seat.

"Ahem." Chris exclaimed. "I would like to continue the ceremony, Honua peanut gallery. Ka Lani might have forgotten the rules since the last time they were here. Unlike you, they haven't come back until just now."

Chris turned to Ka Lani as he reached into his bag and pulled out three leis. "The sit outs of Steven, Stephanie, and Alice are all safe." Chris announced as Steven took a multi-colored lei, Stephanie took a blue lei, and Alice took a pink lei.

"Next…" Chris announced. "Cassandra."

Cassandra stepped up and took a black lei before putting it around her neck.

Chris smiled at the remaining four campers of Aleister, Clay, Evan, and Nixia.

"Evan." Chris nodded as Evan walked up to Chris and received a lei of black, blue, and red flowers.

"And Clay." Chris smiled as Clay gave a relieved sigh before walking up to receive a black lei.

"Hey, look at that, we match!" Cassandra joked as Clay put his own black lei around his neck.

"Yeah, I guess we do." Clay gave a soft laugh.

"Aleister, Nixia…" Chris announced. "The final lei of the night goes to…"

He paused.

"The winner of the tiebreaker! That's right, you each received four votes, and just like in Zero Sum, we're putting you through a tiebreaker challenge to resolve this!"

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Zero Sum's tiebreakers were always really childish games, but when the punishment for losing them is elimination, they become really intense! I hope the challenge isn't something physical like arm wrestling, I wouldn't be able to beat Aleister at that."

End Confessional

* * *

"Our tiebreaker will be…" Chris pulled a slip of paper out of his bag.

"A staring contest! Just like the first Zero Sum tiebreaker!"

* * *

 _Contest Begin_

Aleister and Nixia stared each other in the eyes intently.

One minute passed,

And then two,

Then five.

Both contestants were trying their hardest not to blink.

That is when a cockroach crawled up onto Nixia's shoulder.

Both contestants saw it in their peripheral vision.

Nixia remained calm and composed.

Aleister however, very quickly got up and rushed towards behind Team Honua.

"Gahh! Cockroach! Get it away!"

"It's just a bug!" Galiris tried to comfort him. She looked over at the cockroach. "A very disgusting bug, but still just a bug."

"Well, I think that settles this tiebreaker." Chris nodded. "Nixia, you may come up and take your lei. Aleister, I'm sorry, but you're out dude. Next time don't try to fake your way through the game okay bro? I bet you could've gone a lot farther if you were honest from the get go!"

As Nixia received her sapphire blue lei, Aleister walked towards the hang glider.

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"He _lost_ the tiebreaker? That isn't good! Now we're down to only three people and they have a majority alliance! Maybe Alice and I can rekindle our bond with Cassandra. Either way, we need to get out from the bottom of this team!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Dude was eliminated by a _bug_." Chris nearly laughed as Aleister glided away. "Some bad boy he was."

"Don't talk about our teammate that way." Cassandra shook her head as the rest of Ka Lani headed back down the volcano.

Chris turned his head to the camera. "And not only does Honua finally come in first for a challenge, but Ka Lani comes in last!" He announced. "With Aleister gone, how will Steven, Alice, and Stephanie cope? Can Honua keep up their lucky streak? Will Katrina _ever_ have to put in effort towards a challenge? Find out the answer to all of these and more, _next time_ on,

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!

* * *

*Aleister's Final Confessional:

"I was totally tough all the way through to the end, hehehehehe...Ahh, who am I kidding? My biggest fear got the best of me this time. I _hate_ cockroaches. I'm surprised that Nixia can stand them. I honestly thought seeing that happen would freak her out first. Either way, I've learned my lesson. Trying to be someone I'm not got me eliminated way too early. Good luck to Ka Lani and everyone else going forwards though, hehehehehe, I bet you're all going to need it."

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Aleister voted for…Nixia_

 _Alice voted for…Nixia_

 _Cassandra voted for…Aleister_

 _Clay voted for…Aleister_

 _Evan voted for…Aleister_

 _Nixia voted for…Aleister_

 _Stephanie voted for…Nixia_

 _Steven voted for...Nixia_


	13. Ep 5: The Mechanizing Of The Bulls

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

Galiris caught fish and threw her team an apology party, which lifted up the morale of Honua, despite having never won a challenge yet. Two separate alliances formed on Ka Lani, dividing the team cleanly in two. Katrina continued to refuse to show respect to any Ka Malu O Members, and as Dominique spent time in exile on Kokoke, she began to realize just how little she liked her team, While in the Honeymoon Cabin, Stephanie and Deamian found the hidden Twist Tikis, The Girls' Night Out and Grounded Guys Tikis respectively, and Lina got the wrong idea from their mood. The challenge was an old school 3-way game of capture the flag, where thanks to Kevin's quick thinking, Honua not only won their very first challenge, but also sent Ka Lani to elimination for the very first time, where both alliance lamely stayed loyal and forced a tiebreaker staring contest between Aleister and Nixia, which Aleister lost, thanks to a cockroach creeping him out. Now 19 are left, and it's about to be 18! Who'll be right on the mark, and whose shot at the million is about to go wide? Find out right now, on Total Drama Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

' _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

"Alright!" Dominique brushed off her hands after she cracked open a few coconuts she had managed to find fresh of some of the trees around the outskirts of Kokoke Island's forest.

She sat down in her small camp and picked up one of the coconuts and began to drink its fluids. "Time to eat up!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"The food Chef brings me here is crud, so I've been livin' off the land here. It's mostly fruit, but if I can get like a fishing spear over here or something, I might try to dive for some meat, but I ain't about to try that with no tools!"

Postpone Confessional

Dominique tends to a sizeable fire and makes sure her shelter is secure, before bringing out a chair made of branches and wooden ship parts from behind the shelter, and sitting on it to relax as she brings up another coconut to drink from.

Resume Confessional

"It really is the life here compared to that hell of a team I was stuck on back on the mainland. I can only imagine what's going on there right now."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Briand, Deamian, Julia, Katrina, Maddie_

"No! No! Put the lighter _down_!" Briand and Deamian were trying to snatch a lighter away from Maddie's hands after she had tried to set a feverishly reading Katrina's hair on fire.

"Maddie, come on, this is ridiculous." Deamian tried to reason with her.

"What's ridiculous is that there's still three whole boys on this team!" Maddie responded as she bounced off the bed above a still sitting Julia, who was both trying to ignore the shenanigans around her as well as eying Katrina's book.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"That's it. What the hell is in that book? I really want to know because that's the only thing she really keeps near her person. I'd pull a Heather, but she _is_ on my team, an alliance-mate, and I'm not sure how she's going to react if she finds out that book is stolen."

End Confessional

* * *

Julia walked up to Katrina as Maddie, Briand, and Deamian's scuffle took them all outside.

"What are you reading?" She asked.

"The dictionary." Katrina responded sarcastically. "Leave me alone."

Julia tried to peek over at what was really written in the book, but Katrina slammed it shut.

"I'm going to leave now. If you follow me, I'll hit you over the head with the book so you can absorb the knowledge through osmosis."

"Testy." Julia crossed her arms.

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre, Kevin_

"Ah, yes, here she comes…" Pierre grinned as Silivia slithered through the chimney and into the cabin. "Did you find any splendiferous Twist Tikis for me, Silivia?"

The snake stuck its tongue out as she shook her head.

"None whatsoever? Have you checked every single floorboard? Behind every hollow wall?"

Silivia slithered up the chimney again and soon enough, opened the trap door in the ceiling from the other side.

" _Hissssss_ " She hissed at Pierre before making her way back down.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"I had Silivia come with me to the Honeymoon Cabin this time around, as in my geniusination, I realized that perhaps an animal could track down the tikis if a splendiferous human such as myself could not. However, it appears as though I have been beaten to the punch when it comes to these two tikis! I'm no fooldunce though, I understand they are in the position of either Stephanie, Deamian, or one with each of them. I shall then see if I might be able to secure _their_ tikis as well as the one I know Clay possesses!"

End Confessional

* * *

"What's going on?" Kevin yawned as he woke up.

"Nothing you must worry your dreary head about." Pierre said as he allowed Silivia to slither up his arm and rest on his shoulders.

"I suggest you get on the hunt for the twist tikis in this area though. Otherwise Silivia and I will beat you to them and keep both of them for ourselves."

Kevin shook his head.

"I've….been told to not trust you." He informed.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Zubin doesn't trust Pierre, and neither does Galiris, and they've both told me to be careful around him. I don't know what he's trying to get me to do, but I do know that I'll be telling both of them what happened."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Cassandra, Lucy_

Julia crouched through the middle of the forest, silently hiding amongst the bushes before putting her back to a tree as she started to monologue.

"Colonel, this is Parrot." She pretended to talk into an imaginary earpiece. I flew into position and infiltrated the island. No enemies spotted. I'm going in." She then ran through the foliage, pretending to be holding a pistol. "Agent Octopus, any reads on what's ahead?" She asked as she moved forwards before stopping as she heard a noise coming from some nearby underbrush. "Aha!" She grinned, believing the noise to have come from a small animal. She took off her scarf and used the clothing article as a lariat to trap the being that had made the noise. "Problem silenced." She grinned as she began pulling her catch back towards her. "Now let's see whooooo…" Her voice died down as she pulled a very displeased Lucy out of the forest.

Julia gave herself an embarrassed facepalm before talking with a nervous chuckle. "Ah, ahhh...would you like to pretend none of this ever occurred?"

"Very much." Lucy answered with a furrowed brow.

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Look, I knew that Ka Malu O was full of freaks but I wasn't expecting to be lassoed by a scarf while I was gathering food! That whole team needs to learn how to calm the fuck down for a minute."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I was bored, okay?" Julia gestures. "Pierre isn't here to keep me amused and I couldn't stand being around Female Noah, Explosivo's Cousin, Confused Rodney, and Donovan On A Sugar High. It was becoming a common routine, so I had to improvise. I just hope no one _else_ noticed me doing that...I doubt they even _like_ roleplaying."

End Confessional

* * *

"Again, really sorry about that." Julia apologized as she untied Lucy while Cassandra walked by, giving them both a strange look, before running off.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"While on a 'snake patrol' as per a paranoid Clay's request, I just stumbled across the strangest scene. A Ka Malu O member untying her scarf in order to set a Honua member free. It was a situation that called for a buttload of context that I didn't have or want to know, so I got _outta there_."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Entertainment Bonfire Pit_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Steven, Evan_

"There are only those indigenous snakes out there. Saliva or whatever Pierre's snake's name is isn't around, I'm sure of it." Cassandra said, visibly annoyed. "You can start your song now."

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"Clay was gathering a few of us around the entertainment bonfire because he wanted to play a song for us, and I'm never one to turn down a request to sing. Still though, I couldn't help but wonder why he's decided to "

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Last week, Cassandra called me out on my inability to trust others, so I figured that I might as well try to convey that through song to however many teammates of mine were willing to listen. Unfortunately, Stephanie had shanghaied all the girls except Cassandra for some sort of beach day, which I guess is fine since Cassandra is the only girl I'm all that social with. She seemed pretty upset that I had her make sure Pierre's snake wasn't around though." He begins to speak up. "If any Ka Malu O contestant is spying on me in here, you think you can do me a favor and vote out Pierre? Or at least deal with that snake of his?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Ahem." Clay said into a microphone that Evan had hooked up to an amp.

"Thank you for coming." He addressed his three observing teammates. "I'm about to perform a song called 'Cold' which I feel can explain my situation to all of you better than any of my spoken words could. So uh, let's begin."

He began to strum on his guitar and sang into the microphone.

"I'm gazing upward, a world I can't embrace

There's only thorns and splinters, venom in my veins

It's okay to cry out, when it's driving you insane

But somehow someday, I'll have to face the pain

It's all gone cold

But no one wants the blame

It's all so wrong

But who am I, who am I to say?

I'm begging for forgiveness, everything I've done

If God is listening, He knows I'm not the only one

It's okay to lash out from the rules that I'm enslaved

But somehow someday, I'll have to turn the page

It's all gone cold

And no one wants to change

It's all so wrong

But no one wants the blame

It's all gone cold

There's nothing left to gain

It's all so wrong

But who am I, who am I to say?"

As Clay entered the guitar solo of the song, Steven looked at the other two contestants watching the performance. Evan was nodding along with every lyric sung, and Cassandra almost seemed on the verge of tears.

"My heart's an endless winter filled with rage" Clay sang softly and quietly

"I'm looking forward to forgetting yesterday."

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Holy crap, this guy's been through so much shit. Man, these lyrics are speaking to me. Reminds me of how much of a _fucking_ _asshole_ my dad is! Or was, considering he's dead to me."

End Confessional

* * *

Clay returned to his louder growling voice as he continued to sing.

"It's all gone cold

And no one wants to change

It's all so wrong

But no one wants the blame

It's all gone cold

There's nothing left to gain

It's all so wrong

But who am I, who am I to say?

To say

It's all gone cold" He hit the highest note he possibly could before returning to his natural voice.

"But who am I to say?

It's all gone cold

But who am I, who am I to say?"

Two tears began to stream down his face as he sang the last lyric with the saddest voice Ka Lani had ever heard.

"Cold…"

Clay began to wipe the tears away with one of his hands while he used the other one to put his guitar back in its case.

"That's the song." He said as he turned back to the microphone.

Steven stood up from his seat and began to clap for Clay as a show of support.

Cassandra stood up from her seat as well and walked up towards Clay, extending her arms for a hug before realizing that Evan had beat her to it.

"Humans are pack animals." He said as he hugged Clay. "Doesn't this feel warmer?"

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"I know what it's like to lose family and act out because of it, only to be ostracized by society. I'm glad Clay's in my alliance. Dude is family now."

End Confessional

* * *

"Th-thanks bro." Clay said, still wiping tears, as he returned Evan's hug and Cassandra crossed her arms.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Not to sound rude or anything, but _I_ wanted to have that emotional moment with Clay! Not Nature Boy! Maybe I should have taken Stephanie up on her beach day offer…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Nixia, Stephanie, Briand, Deamian, Maddie, Lina, Zubin, Galiris_

"The water feels so nice today!" Nixia exclaimed as she swam around in the lake while many of the piranha smilingly swam alongside her, as though she was just another one of their own.

"That's- eeep." Alice jumped as a fish swimmed passed her and brushed against her leg. "That's easy for you to say!"

"You two look like you're having fun!" Stephanie laughed from her beach towel where she was tanning herself.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to have fun with people and get them laughing and smiling, so for now, that's the strategy I'm using to get me further in this game."

End Confessional

* * *

"Splash fight!" Alice giggled with excitement as she splashed water towards Nixia, who laughed as she rose her arms in an attempt to block it while trying to get Alice back.

"Look at that, man." Deamian nudged Briand's side with his elbow and pointed to the three Ka Lani women. "They're all so hot."

"Yeah." Briand nodded as he looked around. "Hey, do you smell barbeque?"

"Gah!" Deamian pointed at Briand as he noticed his burning hair.

"Ahhh!" Briand shouted back, pointing at Maddie behind Deamian, who had managed to regain control of her lighter.

"This is for trying to take my baby away from me heheheheheheheheeee!" Maddie brought the flame closer to Deamian's hair.

"No, get that away from me, you psycho!" Deamian smacked the lighter out of Maddie's hand.

Maddie's eyes watered up as she began to sniffle.

"You...you big _meanie_!" She pushed Deamian in the chest before running off towards Stephanie.

"So, you're making other girls cry now, huh?" Lina asked as she walked up to Deamian.

"No! You've got it all wrong, I-, _She-_ "

"You know what? I don't want to hear it." Lina sighed. "With Kevin in Honeymoon, Lucy foraging for real food instead of Chef's slop, and Brains and Brawn over there about to go canoeing for who knows what reason," She tilted her head towards Zubin and Galiris carrying a canoe towards the docks "I somehow thought I'd see if I could try to patch things up with you, but if you're really such a jerk that you'll take it out on another girl, I don't know what I was thinking."

"That sucks, man." Briand put a hand on Deamian's shoulder as Lina stormed off into the woods.

"Your hair is still on fire!" Deamian shouted at Briand.

"I know right?" Briand asked, excitedly. "I was thinking I could do like a Ghost Rider thing where-"

"Get into the water, before you kill yourself!" Deamian began pushing Briand into the water.

"Stephanieeeee…" Maddie snuggled up towards a visibly annoyed Stephanie. "Deamian smacked my lighter away and now I can't find iiiiiiiit..."

"Maddie, you're cute, but at what point did you think I was going to just let you snuggle up to me like that?" Stephanie asked as she pushed Maddie away.

"But I wanna be your girlfriend!" Maddie pouted.

"And talk is cheap." Stephanie relaxed. "If you really wanted to go out with me, you'd need to prove it. That starts with respecting personal space."

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"By which I mean through favors and performances, not through unwanted sexual advances. Hopefully Maddie realizes that."

End Confessional

* * *

"How?" Maddie sat up excitedly. "How? How? How? I'll do it! I'll prove it!"

"Hmm…" Stephanie pondered the possibilities with a smile. "I'll need to think about it, but I'll get back to you on it. For now, just focus on staying in the game."

"Yay!" Maddie cheered. "I'll do it! I'll prove it to you, and then you'll be my girlfriend and we'll live happily ever after!"

She quickly kissed Stephanie's cheek before skipping off.

"H-hey?" Stephanie blushed. "What did I _just_ say about personal space?"

"Dude, did you see that?" Deamian asked Briand. "I think I just saw Maddie kiss Stephanie on the cheek or something?"

"Hey, look!" Briand's excited voice let Deamian know instantly something bad was about to happen.

He turned to notice that each of Briand's fingers had a piranha biting down on it. "I'm Fish-Fingers!" Briand exclaimed with a large grin.

"Dude, seriously, you're going to get yourself killed doing this!" Deamian rolled his eyes as he began to walk over to Briand.

"'Scuse us!" Galiris announced as she and Zubin rushed passed the two carry their canoe towards the dock. "We're about to catch the most dangerous fish of them all!"

"That octopus?" Briand asked.

"Sure, let's go with that." Zubin responded.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"No. Not the octopus. We're going to throw Dominique a line, and see if she grabs it. No one on Ka Malu O would be allowed to visit her as she's exiled, and no one of Ka Lani really cares enough about someone who isn't on their team to head out either, which leaves the window open for me to bring in Dominique as an ally. The hardest part was convincing Gal that this was her idea."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Zubin came up to me with an interesting concern this morning. Our team is dwindling. We still have Lina on the outs of our core four alliance, but we still know that it's a long shot to not lose a single challenge until the merge, so I figured it was time we start talking about game plans with the members of the other teams, and I remember having a small talk with Dominique on the first day here! I feel like she's like me, only a land lubber! If I had to choose, she'd be the first one I'd ask, and she's conveniently on an island by herself, which is why I've taken Zubin with me as a second paddler to head to Kokoke and see what this is all about!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Galiris, Zubin_

"Let me stop you right here." A muscular young man with a red buzzcut said as he held out a 'stop' gesture towards Galiris and Zubin as they exited their canoe.

"You look familiar…" Galiris squinted her eyes. "Like i've seen you before… somewhere…"

"Gal, I think this might be Victor from last season." Zubin whispered.

"By the tides, it is!" Galiris's eyes widened. "You're Victor from Total Drama Zero Sum!"

"A fan are you? Don't be shy now." Victor smirked as he got ready to bask in praise.

"Oh, a huge fan! You totally should have won that game! So, uh, can we see Dominique?"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"You all know that _my_ favorite contestant from the past seasons is Helen from Zero Sum. Victor is veerrrry far down on my list too. Heck, I like _Sugar_ from Pahkitew more than I like Victor from Zero Sum. That said, why on earth would I tell him that? This is a game about telling people what they want to hear, and that's just as true with the staff as it is with the competition."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, if you guys are true fans of me, then I suppose your tastes are good enough. I'll give you five minutes." Victor grinned, satisfied with the praise he received. "She _is_ supposed to be in exile after all, and I'm being paid to make sure it stays that way."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"So, we were let onto Kokoke as though it was a jail and we were visiting its one inmate, and by the look Dominique gave us when she saw us arrive, it seems we got there just in time."

End Confessional

* * *

"Oh, merciful people!" Dominique rushed up to Zubin and Galiris, while checking her note on the curse tiki to make sure she was allowed to talk to them.

"What are y'all doin' down here? Don't tell me you're exiled as well?"

"No, we came to see you." Zubin responded. "We wanted to make sure you were doing alright, and weren't too lonely."

"Oh you don't know the _half_ of it." Dominique's eyes widened before she began to talk a mile a minute about how there was nothing for her to do on the island, how none of the interns with cameras were allowed to talk to her, how coconuts wouldn't sustain her for the entire game, and how Victor, who acted as a guard, not only didn't talk to her, but would sometimes purposefully keep her up at night, allegedly under Chris's orders.

"That's terrible!" Galiris gasped. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I sure better be okay!" Dominique exclaimed. "Otherwise, I'mma curse the hell out of my teammates if they vote me off!"

"Speaking of teammates…" Zubin turned to Galiris.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"It needs to be Galiris that addresses the idea. The more I build her up as a threat, the more appealing I'll look as an ally later down the line."

End Confessional

* * *

"We were wonderin', Dominique, if you wanted to form a bit of an alliance with us?" Galiris asked. "We're not asking you to throw challenges or nothing, in fact its more of a merge thing, but we'll keep coming over here each week to hang out with you if you promise that we'll have each other's backs in the merge."

"Heh." Dominique gave a laugh.

"I knew I liked your style." She held out a hand. "You got yourselves a deal."

"Isn't that great?" Chris appeared from the beach with Victor and Chef.

"Now, the three of you can come with me as we head to Nui Kaua Field for your next challenge!"

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Field_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

Julia's eyes widened as she noticed the large pen full of bulls that seemed to be running around in circles.

"Welcome to today's immunity challenge!" Chris exclaimed to the teams. "As you can see behind me, I have a pen full of bulls. Don't worry, they're mechanical! This is a challenge recycled from Zero Sum, and I like to call it...Bullseye!"

He motioned towards three color coded lines for Ka Lani, Ka Malu O, and Honua to stand behind.

"From those color coded lines, one at a time, each participating member on each team will attempt to shoot an arrow straight into one of the eyes of one of the bulls. Since this challenge's original participant took three arrows to hit one bullseye, in _this_ iteration, the first team to successfully get _three_ bullseyes will be allowed to _choose_ which of the other two teams heads to elimination."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"We get to choose? Well, it's about time Ka Malu O forced Ka Lani to head to elimination. Perhaps Clay will be voted off and he'll hand his tiki off to someone who I'll have an easier time stealing it from!"

End Confessional

* * *

"In addition!" Chris continued. "Also in the spirit of the Zero Sum contestant who first completed this challenge, quite impressively as well, The _first contestant_ to successfully hit a bullseye will earn a clue towards a Twist Tiki I like to call The Copycat Tiki. Finally, at the end of this challenge, and this challenge only, no one will be sent to the Honeymoon Cabin! Now, if anyone _wants_ to sit out, they may. However, anyone who doesn't and manages to hit a bullseye will be guaranteed immunity should their team head to elimination!"

Nixia and Evan both immediately rose their hands.

"Even if they're mechanical, it still doesn't feel right." Both said in unison, before smiling at each other and blushing.

Katrina rose her hand as well and earned death glares from the rest of her team.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"If I don't have to do it, I won't do it. I feel like I've established this with these retards already."

End Confessional

* * *

"Honua, anyone?" Chris grinned.

No one from Honua rose their hand.

"In that case, please remember that all participating members of a team must go at least once before any member repeats. However, once all participating members of a team _have_ gone, feel free to repeat as often as you want. Now, if there are no other questions, let's begin!"

* * *

 _Challenge: Bullseye_

 _Rules: Contestants will, one at a time for each team, attempt to shoot mechanical bulls in the eyes with a bow and arrow. The every member of a team must go before any members go again. Participation in the challenge is voluntary, but the first contestant to successfully hit a bull in its eye will win a clue to the location of a Twist Tiki. The first team to successfully obtain three bullseyes will win immunity and will get to choose the losing team. The chosen losing team will head to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony where one of their members will be voted off and must take the Hang Glider of Shame off of the island._

 _Sitting Out for Ka Lani: Nixia, Evan_

 _Sitting Out for Ka Malu O: Katrina_

 _Sitting Out for Honua: No one_

* * *

Round 1

Alice, Briand, and Galiris were up first for their respective teams.

Not a single one of them understood how to use a bow and arrow.

Alice, after Steven steadied her arms, shot her first arrow, and it landed in the middle of the large dirt track the bulls were moving around.

Briand grinned at his team, and despite their warnings, lobbed his arrow like a javelin.

It landed right next to Alice's.

"You idiot, why did you think that would work?" Julia asked, mimicking Heather's voice.

"Come on Gal, show those losers how Honua does it!" Lucy cheered.

Galiris sighed, drew the bow, and let go.

The arrow moved forwards quickly, but stuck itself in the side of the Mess Hall.

"I meant be _better_ than them, not worse!" Lucy shouted.

"Give me that before you hurt yourself." Dominique walked up to Briand and took his bow away from him as Cassandra grabbed a bow from Alice and Galiris handed her bow to Kevin.

* * *

Round 2

Dominique took a deep breath and focused. She drew the bow back, and zeroed in on one of the bulls.

"Hup!" She let the arrow fly.

Time nearly stopped for everyone as they saw the arrow pierce through the mechanical beast's right eye.

"Dominique _already_ with a bullseye!" Chris exclaimed. "She's more than earned the clue to the Copycat Tiki's location!"

The excitement from Chris's voice caused both Cassandra and Kevin's shots to hit their bulls on the side rather than anywhere near the head.

* * *

Round 3

"Good luck." Cassandra smiled at Clay as she handed the bow off to him.

"Keep the lead." Dominique shoved the bow towards Deamian.

"Here…" Kevin handed Lina the bow while averting his eyes and instead looking down at the ground.

"Ka Malu O currently leads with one bullseye..." Chris announced. "Can either Ka Lani or Honua tie it up?"

An arrow whizzed by Chris and landed in another bullseye.

Chris turned to see a surprised Clay holding the bow.

"It turns out they can!" The host exclaimed as both Deamian and Lina got so nervous being next to each other that they each missed their marks and their arrows fell into the middle of the dirt area along with most of the others.

* * *

Round 4

Stephanie, Julia, and Lucy all took their bows.

Stephanie's shot went wide.

Lucy concentrated and shot her arrow, hitting her bull right in the cheek, under its eye.

"Damn it!" She cursed.

Julia readied the bow, but found it wobbly and hard to hold properly.

"Um… a little help please?" She asked, turning towards her team.

"I've got this." Briand walked up and steadied Julia's hand. "Alright, now!"

Julia let the arrow go, but Briand had accidentally grabbed hold of it as well, so it didn't go anywhere.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Chris shook his head. "What a waste of Julia's shot."

"Wait, you mean I don't get to go again?" Julia's eyes widened as she quickly gave Briand a glare.

"Sorry, them's the rules!" Chris smiled. "Let's move on to the next round people!"

* * *

Round 5

Steven, Maddie, and Zubin all stepped up to their lines.

"You dumb boys are going down!" Maddie trash talked while Steven shot his arrow, scoring another bullseye fro Ka Lani.

"What was that?" He asked innocently. "I feel like you were talking to me, I'm sorry."

"How did...how did you just do that?" Zubin asked.

"Oh well…" Steven looked at the bow and arrow. "I've been practicing all sorts of ways to defend Alice in case our father-"

"Nevermind." Zubin decided as he began to focus on the archery challenge at hand.

He shot the arrow, and it hit the mechanical bull's horn before bouncing off and landing in the dirt.

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Seriously, I _highly_ doubt anyone out of prison is going to end up _here_ of all places. Firstly, how would he get here? This isn't an island you can just rent a ferry to."

End Confessional

Maddie laughed as she sent her arrow flying passed everything and into the woods.

"You know what?" Julia crossed her arms. "I'm not even surprised with her at this point."

"Worry not, dear Julia." Pierre smirked. "For Silivia and I shall show you the skill of a true marksman!"

* * *

Round 6

Clay, Pierre, and Lucy took their places.

As Clay and Lucy both lined up to take their shots, Silivia slithered around both of them, causing them to lose their footing, and both their shots hit the mechanical bulls on the side, while Pierre gave a smug grin as he almost effortlessly scored a second bullseye for Ka Malu O.

"Pierre brings Ka Malu O up with two bullseyes! That's two for Ka Lani and two for Ka Malu O while Honua still has none! Let's see if anyone can decide this challenge in the next round!"

* * *

Round 7

Stephanie, Maddie, and Lina each grabbed their bows.

"We're up at the same time!" Maddie grinned at Stephanie. "It must be fate, let's go make-"

"Throw the challenge." Stephanie grinned at Maddie. "Prove to me you like me by throwing this round of the challenge."

"Aww, you're mean. Almost as mean as Deamian who wouldn't let me light his hair on fire…" Maddie pouted, causing Lina to gasp in such surprise that her shot missed.

"Wait, _that's_ why you were crying earlier?" She asked. "Because you were trying to set his hair on fire?!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Ohhhh...Maybe _I'm_ the one who needs to move on…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Fine." Maddie replied to Stephanie as she haphazardly tossed the arrow towards the fence.

Stephanie nodded as she drew her bow and let an arrow fly.

It whizzed right over one of the bull's head.

"I did it! Let's go make out now!" Maddie moved towards Stephanie.

"No!" Stephanie responded. "Your team hasn't lost the challenge yet, have they?"

"I'll stay in!" Maddie announced to her team.

"As if!" Julia responded. "We're not letting you go again! There's no way we'll let you throw this challenge on purpose!"

* * *

Round 8

Cassandra, Briand, and Galiris walked forwards for their teams.

"Sorry girls, but I'm afraid this is the end for you." Briand smirked as he strung his arrow backwards on his bow before he shot it. The arrow halfheartedly hit the close end of the fence containing the mechanical bulls.

"You're the biggest retard I've ever met." Katrina said from the bench for sitting out contestants while Evan and Nixia giggled to each other talking about various forest things.

Cassandra and Galiris both shot arrows aiming for the same bull, and the arrows collided with each other before either could reach the bullseye.

"Hey, that was my catch!" Galiris exclaimed. "Find your own bull to shoot at!"

"It did have your name on it, Honua!" Cassandra retaliated. "Ka Lani's got this in the bag, so stay in last place and out of our way! Besides wasn't _your_ catch the Mess Hall?"

"Yeah, and your words are the main special today! Care to try 'em?"

"As amazing as this argument is…" Chris smiled. "Let's move on to the next round everyone."

* * *

Round 9

Clay, Deamian, and Kevin all headed up towards their teammates and took their bows from them.

"Don't let them get to you." Clay said as Cassandra handed him the bow. "They're just mad that they're losing again."

"I don't need Mr. Paranoid About A Snake to tell me that!" Cassandra huffed before walking away.

All three boys drew their bows and shot their arrows, and all three arrows ended up in the center of the fenced-in area.

"Wow, that was some major sucking on all three team's ends." Chris's eyes widened. "Let's hope Round 10 can fix things!"

* * *

Round 10

Steven, Pierre, and Lucy came up to the lines as they grabbed their bows.

Pierre laughed as Silivia pulled off the same trick the two of them had used last time they were up, causing both Lucy and Steven to miss their shots.

Pierre's hit his bull, but in its thigh, not its eye.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Oh, if only rhyme-itude counted as much as the bullseye, my fantabulous Silivia and I would be sitting pretty as our team's leadaviors. That's leader and savior rolled together into one beautiful locution!"

End Confessional

* * *

Round 11

Steven and Pierre both remained at their spots while Kevin tagged in for Honua.

"Wait!" Nixia called from the sitting out bench. She turned to Silivia. "Come over here, snakey snakey! Come on! Come over here and spend time with me!"

"Chris, you must discipline her, she is interfering with the challenge!" Pierre exclaimed.

"Sorry, but since Silivia isn't technically part of your team, she _also_ isn't technically part of _any_ challenge." Chris answered.

Pierre gave Silivia a look of disappointment as the snake looked back at him from Nixia's lap.

"Et tu, Silivie?" He asked before drawing his bow along with Steven and Kevin.

Once again, all three shots missed their targets and landed in the middle of the fenced-in area.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"No, I shall not falter! I will continue to shoot for this team, and win us the challenge!"

End Confessional

* * *

Round 12

Pierre remained fro Ka Malu O while Alice and Zubin both took their team's spots

"Why have they sent both of you up against me?" Pierre asked. "You are no match for even Briand."

"Hey!" Briand called from where he and the rest of Ka Malu O were waiting.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Zubin bluffed.

"Indeed!" Pierre said as he drew his bow.

Both Zubin and Alice drew their bows as well.

All three shot them, and they all collided as they went for the same bull, thus falling to the ground without hitting their target at all.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Look, there was no way I was going to get a bullseye with that guy heckling me, but I knew that I could make sure Pierre didn't get one either. Even in a challenge like this, it's all about strategy."

End Confessional

* * *

Round 13

Stephanie, Briand, and Kevin all took their places behind the lines.

"Are you sure about this?" Dominique rose an eyebrow as Briand tagged in for Pierre.

"Hell yeah!" Briand replied as Stephanie missed her shot. "Watch this!"

He drew his arrow and spun before releasing it, which, almost defying logic, caused Kevin's arrow, which was seemingly going to miss to instead bounce off of Briand's projectile and lodge itself in the eye of one of the mechanical bull.

"Kevin gets a point for Honua!" Chris announced.

"But that was because of Briand's shot!" even Katrina argued from the bench.

"But it wasn't _his_ arrow that got the bullseye was it?" Chris grinned back. "Point for Honua! Can they manage to turn this challenge around? Let's find out in Round 14!"

* * *

Round 14

Stephanie stayed in Ka Lani's area, while Pierre retook Ka Malu O's line from Briand, and Galiris stepped up to the Honua line.

"Silivia!" Pierre snapped. "You will aid me before you sit on that druid's lap!"

" _Hisssss_ " Silivia slithered off of Nixia and back towards Pierre.

"You don't need to worry about the blonde." Pierre whispered to the snake. "She can't hit a bullseye to save her life. But distract the sailor girl while I win this."

Stephanie fired her arrow, and it went wide, just as Pierre had predicted.

Pierre readied his bow, and made sure Silivia was slithering around Galiris, which she was.

However, Galiris seemed unperturbed. She strung the arrow, drew it back from her bow, and let loose a shot that _just barely_ …

Made it into the eye of one of the bulls.

"What?" Pierre's eyes widened in surprise as his own arrow only hit a bull in its forehead.

"What _nonsense_ has this team of voodoo devils come up with this time?"

"I'm a sailor, hun." Galiris smiled. "If I got all squealy every time a water snake or eel or fish swam by me and grazed my skin, I wouldn't be able to call myself a woman of the sea."

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Which is why we've agreed that Galiris is going to finish this competition off. She's not going to let Pierre or his animal affect our chances at winning."

End Confessional

* * *

"Honua is now at two bullseyes like the other teams!" Chris exclaimed. "I actually wasn't expecting the challenge to be this close! I totally thought one of you would win sooner! Round 15 let's see if we can't decide the winner here?"

* * *

Round 15

Steven and Briand tagged out for Stephanie and Pierre respectively while Galiris stayed on.

"Briand!" Julia spoke to him seriously. "We need this shot to _win_. If we don't we might be voted off. Please, _please_ take this seriously!"

Briand gave Julia a nod and a thumbs up, which clearly did not reassure her at all.

"Good luck, brother!" Alice cheered for Steven.

"You got this, Gal!" Lina called out.

Each contestant drew their arrows.

Steven shot his arrow first.

It hit the bull he aimed for right in the ear, but not the eye.

Briand shot his arrow second.

It zoomed passed the bulls and knocked Galiris's first arrow out of the Mess Hall wall.

Galiris shot her arrow third.

Cheers erupted as her arrow scored yet another bullseye.

"Honua with another upset victory!" Chris cheered. "Honua wins! Honua does it again!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Yes! Woooo! Safe another day!" She soon regains her composure. "Now to decide which team heads to elimination…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Honua!" Chris announced as the five Honua members broke from their huddle. "You've had five minutes to decide. Which team is heading to elimination?"

The Honua players all looked at one another and nodded.

"Ka Malu O." They all said in unison.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"It was a pretty easy choice for us, all things considered. Dominique has individual immunity for scoring a bullseye, and while Pierre _also_ has it and thus can't be eliminated, it helps me let Clay know that he can trust me, or at the very least that I'm not going to betray him should he choose to."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s)_

 _Watching(Honua): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

 _Participating(Ka Malu O): Briand, Deamian, Dominique, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

"Ka Malu O, Ka Malu O." Chris shook his head. "You were doing so well since your initial first loss too...In any case, Dominique and Pierre, the two of you can rest easy knowing your bullseyes have given you immunity tonight, but the rest of you...Oh boy…"

He turned to face each of them.

"Briand, _you_ kept trying to do these weird stunts with the arrows, none of which ever helped, and _most_ of which actually hurt your team's chances of winning, Maddie, you were willing to throw the entire challenge in order to get with a girl on the opposing team, Julia, you tend to boss everyone on your team around, but during this challenge, you went _once_ and then never again, while still acting as though you could do better than whomever was on that line, Deamian, we all have girl problems from time to time, but you've clearly been letting it affect your performance, and Katrina, _once again_ , you've contributed no effort towards helping your team in challenges. To be perfectly honest, I think this is the first time I've been so unsure of who could possibly be voted off on this show... _ever_. With that said, let's all of you get up and vote."

"So…" Galiris said to Kevin as the Ka Malu O contestants all got up to vote. "Who do you think it's gonna be? I'm thinkin Katrina."

Kevin shook his head. "I don't know, but it's not our team."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Damn right, it's not our team! If it was our team, Katrina woulda' been the first boot! Everyone's gotta _do_ something here on Honua!"

End Confessional

* * *

"It's probably Maddie or Briand." Zubin whispered to Lucy and Lina. "Everyone on Ka Malu O is focused on winning and little else, and those two were the ones that contributed the most to the loss today."

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

Lina is crossing her fingers. "Please, please let Deamain be safe. Just long enough for me to apologize to him!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright…" Chris said after everyone had come back. "I'll go tally the votes."

"Hey, Honua." Julia turned to face the Honua team members. "I'm going to remember that you sent us here. Don't expect to get away with this."

"That's fine." Lucy grunted back. "Just don't expect to be able to get revenge on us either, mimic bitch."

"I've tallied the votes." Chris announced as he came back with a bag full of leis. "But let's see the Curse Tiki in action. Dominique, your vote please?"

Dominique furrowed her brow as she stood up. "Katrina." She announced before sitting back down.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"I wanted so badly to tell that do-nothing bitch off in front of everyone, but thanks to this Curse Tiki, I ain't fuckin' allowed to! Ugh!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Now, if there is anyone who has an eligible twist or immunity tiki and would like to play it, now would be the time." Chris grinned.

Katrina closed her book and sighed.

She did not play her tiki.

"Alright." Chris nodded. "I'll now call the names of six campers to come up and receive a lei. If you do not receive a lei, you will be forced to take the Hang Glider of Shame off of the island, and you can't come back…*mumble*mumble*"

"He's doing the mumbling thing again!" Julia pointed.

"Am not!" Chris retorted like a child before regaining mental control of himself.

"Ahem...our first two leis go to Dominique and Pierre. They're both safe."

"Our next lei goes to…Julia."

Julia sighed in relief as she walked up to receive her lei.

"Deamian, you're safe too." Chris announced.

"Ohthankgoodness." Lina sighed under her breath as Deamian did the same and walked up to receive his lei from Chris.

"Our next lei goes to…" Chris grinned as he looked at the three contestants left by the bonfire "...Maddie."

"Wooo!" Maddie rushed up to Chris and forcefully grabbed her lei from him.

"Briand, Katrina…" Chris smiled. "I only have one lei left…

And it goes to…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… … Katrina." Chris announced as Katrina walked up to receive her lei.

"Looks like you couldn't get rid of me that easily." She glanced at Dominique, who glared back at her.

"Briand, it looks like you're out buddy." Chris frowned. "You were a chill dude, but Hell isn't known for being chilly."

"Bummer." Briand sighed before perking right back up. "But man, I've _really_ wanted to use this hang glider for a long time now! Check this out!"

He grabbed the Hang Glider of shame and ran with it off of the volcano edge.

"Briand wait! You need to catch the right gust of wind-" Chris tried to stop him but it was too late.

The gusts of wind began to blow Briand all over the island, and eventually started taking him towards a small urban civilization on the opposite side of the lake.

"Chef, you better make sure he doesn't ruin anyone's homes."

"He...He really _is_ that stupid isn't he?" Katrina seemed surprised.

"What he _is_ " Chris turned to the camera. "Is our most recent eliminated contestant! Now only 18 remain, and by the time the _next_ challenge is over with, we'll be down to 17 campers! Can Honua keep up their newfound winning streak? Will Dominique be able to stand her team for another whole week? Can Clay ever learn to trust another contestant? Find out next time on

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Briand's Final Confessional:

"Nui Kaua was freaking extreme, man! That was a blast the whole way through! I met some really chill people, and I might have been voted out earlier than I liked, but man was the short time I spent here the time of my life! I'd totally come back for like a Brains, Brawns, and Beauty thing or Fan Favorites or something similar! Good luck Dominique, you're the one I'm rooting for! You got this!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Briand voted for...Katrina_

 _Deamian voted for...Maddie_

 _Dominique voted for...Katrina_

 _Julia voted for...Briand_

 _Katrina voted for...Briand_

 _Maddie voted for...Briand_

 _Pierre voted for...Maddie_


	14. Ep 6: The Antagonists Are Awake

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

As Ka Lani grew closer together over walks in the woods, musical performances, and splash fights, Ka Malu grew further and further apart to the point where I'm almost thought they were going to _kill_ each other, hahahaaah. Meanwhile, Zubin and Galiris from Honua began to work on forging the bonds of alliance with a cursed Dominique. Lina and Deamian made no progress towards recovering their fractured friendship, Pierre continued to not find any tikis, and Briand constantly put himself in harm's way. At challenge time, Nui Kaua had itself a special archery contest that we made using leftover parts from last season, and while Dominique was the first to score a bullseye and earn herself a clue to the location of The Copycat Tiki, it was thanks to a come-behind strategy out of the brains of Honua that won them not only the challenge, but the right to decide which team to send to elimination, which almost immediately was revealed to be Ka Malu O. At the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, Maddie, Katrina, and Briand were all on the chopping block. Maddie for being unpredictable and almost throwing the challenge. Katrina for being lazy and generally no help to the team, and Briand for being reckless and acting without thought. While the vote was close, it was Briand, the resilient risk taker, who found himself looking at the empty lei bag. We are down to 18 contestants and we're about to reach 17. Who is crafty enough to solve this challenge's puzzles and who's lack of adaptational abilities will send them home tonight? Find out, right here, on Total Drama Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

' _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Interior_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre_

"Pierre, we shouldn't be back here so early in the morning." The intern holding the camera following Pierre suggested.

"Hush." Pierre held up a finger. "I noticed this area way back during the puzzle/art challenge and I know a secret spot when I've spotted its secrecy. There has to be some kind of tiki, or at least a _clue_ , somewhere around her, and Silivia agrees."

"* _Hisss_ *" Silivia agreed with a nod.

"Oh really?" A confident voice asked as footsteps walked towards Pierre and the intern following him, who were both frozen with fear at having been found by someone at such an early hour.

"If you're looking for a tiki…I think we can come to an arrangement."

Pierre and Silivia both gulped.

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Cassandra, Evan, Stephanie_

"Yeah, I haven't found any sign of them either." Stephanie nodded as she talked to a nervous Cassandra and Evan who had come to the Ka Lani Campsite looking for the whereabouts of Clay and Nixia respectively.

"It's just that this is so unlike him…" Cassandra muttered. "He likes to practice nice and early, but that's about it. I don't know…"

"You think it might have been one of the other teams?" Alice asked. "I wouldn't put it past Ka Malu O to try and kidnap other players."

"Neither would I." Evan agreed. "And that Pierre doesn't like Nixia or Clay very much."

"We should probably wake up my brother then." Alice suggested. "If we all search together we may have a better chance of finding them."

She walked over to the other side of the cabin and knocked on the door.

"Steven! Steven wake up!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"We waited for a few minutes, and Alice tried again, and we waited for another minute or two, and there was no answer so…"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'll go in and check." Evan said as he walked into the boys' side of the cabin.

"Steven, you in here man?" He asked looking around.

Evan slammed the door as he ran out of the cabin.

"Steven's gone too." He announced.

"What?!" Alice's eyes widened. "No, he can't be."

"Guys, calm down!" Stephanie announced. "We'll find our teammates, alright? Chris would never let anything happen to them!"

"Are you sure?" Alice asked raising an eyebrow. "The condition Hayes left the show in was pretty serious."

"It's fine." Evan assured everyone as he gathered himself. "People don't just disappear. If we work together with the others, we may learn if anyone of their own teams have disappeared and we can work to track them."

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"Oh, it's just not like Steven to go off on his own without telling anyone. I hope...I hope the worst hasn't happened. I hope my step father hasn't come here…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"I'm 70% sure this is some challenge or something, but even if it isn't, my actions would be the same. A pack of wolves never leaves any of its own behind, and I intend for the team of Ka Lani to be the same. We fight and survive together. I will not leave my teammates behind without reason."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Camp_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Cassandra, Deamian, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Maddie, Stephanie, Zubin_

"Where's your sailor captain?" Julia demanded from Kevin as she, Deamian, Katrina, and Maddie surrounded Honua's cabin. "We need to check on Dominique. Pierre's gone off to who knows where and we can't afford to lose a powerhouse like her as well."

"I...I don't know where Gal is." Kevin quietly responded. "She left to go get a canoe for us about two hours ago and hasn't come back since."

"And Pierre is apparently missing as well?" Zubin asked from inside the cabin.

"Yeah, and the sooner _he_ gets back, the better." Julia crossed her arms as she looked at Deamian, Maddie, and Katrina. "I'm not sure exactly how well I'll be able to handle myself mentally without him around as at least a semi-sane voice of reason."

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"Is it _really_ that hard to talk to me? I don't _think_ I'm one of the insane ones…Oh wait...I was depressed until recently, I guess I can understand it now...shit, why did it have to happen then? Now none of these girls are going to want to talk to me."

End Confessional

* * *

"There they are!" Cassandra announced as the four remaining Ka Lani members headed towards the cabin as well.

"Alright, Ka Malu O, give us back our team members." Evan held out a hand as though he was expecting them to give him money.

"We don't _have_ your fucking team members, dipshit." Katrina sighed bitterly as she turned to the next page in her book.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I swear, it's just one idiotic statement after another with these ignoramuses. Someone of my erudition shouldn't need to be bothered by the problems of these people with the intelligence of dirt, but if they whine and make noise like this, I can't enjoy my book."

End Confessional

* * *

"Someone needs to watch their fucking language." Lucy smirked as she emerged from the cabin with Lina, who upon seeing Deamian, looked out at the lake.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"I...I don't know anymore. I _want_ to be friends with Deamian again, but I'm worried that if I try to make amends with him he'll think I want something more than that, which I don't. I'd rather just avoid him if at all possible."

End Confessional

* * *

"Stephannnieeeee…" Maddie skipped towards Stephanie and clasped her hands together as though she was begging. " _Pleaaaseee_ help us find our teammates! I'll make out with you if you-"

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Stephanie began to blush heavily. "That is _not_ a proper incentive to give someone for help with something, _especially_ on international television!"

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

Maddie is giggling as she rocks her legs back and forth on the toilet seat. "But she liked the thought of it~!" She sang before taking a bite out of a chocolate bar and then licking her lips clean.

End Confessional

* * *

"Hello? *Bzzt* Hello?" A voice asked over the loudspeakers. Julia gasped. She was one of the few people who recognized it. "If you can hear this…" The voice continued. "Then congratulations, you are the four members of your team that the producers feel do the least in the challenges. While with some of you, that might be a close margin, with others, looking at _you_ Katrina, it most certainly is not."

Katrina looked up from her book at the loudspeakers atop the totem pole.

"So...I _have_ to participate in this challenge, is that it?"

"Well, you don't _have_ to do anything, really." The voice mused. "I mean, if you _want_ to have to go to elimination, be my guest, but then you might waste your immunity tiki earlier than its intended use."

Most of the contestants gasped at the revelation that Katrina did, in fact, have an immunity tiki.

"Oh, oops, did I ruin a secret?" The voice taunted. "Hey, did you guys know this challenge wasn't originally supposed to be this early? But Chris and Chef were getting bored with watching the same few people take charge every time. I told him too. I said 'Chris, Chef, if you put everyone on teams based on their general ideals, you're going to get a few very interesting players but many more who'll just wait in the shadows and do nothing but waste space. Consider this a way of...bringing you all out of your shells. After all, this game _is_ an ever-changing one, and if you can't adapt to the changes, might as well be eliminated right now right?"

"Where are the others?" Evan asked.

"And what about Dominique?" Julia asked.

"Oh, they're all here, with me." The voice replied matter-of-factly. "Chris and Chef too, but unlike your teammates, those two aren't in any-, what? What is it? No I don't think…, okay, hang on guys, it looks like we can talk face to face and cut this radio crap out, sweet huh?"

A hologram appeared beneath the loudspeakers, revealing the boy who had been talking over them, clad in his signature pink polo shirt and cargo shorts, a hand reaching past his blue eyes and combing through his golden blond hair.

"Ah, that's _much_ better." He smiled. "I'm Oswald Pamesi, Zero Sum contestant. Charmed." He bowed almost mockingly. "And make no mistake that I am truthful when I tell you that your challenge today is your most important one yet, because why wouldn't it be? Now, listen up because I'm only going to tell you this once, your challenge is very simple. It's a game of hide and seek of sorts. "I've hidden your friends somewhere, and you need to seek them before time runs out. I should mention that _if_ time _does_ run out and no one has made it to their next objective, every team will be sent to elimination, and we don't want that do we? That's boring. Now to explain the rules of the challenge. If you break them, you risk elimination."

* * *

 _Challenge Rules:_

 _1: The four non-captured members of each team must compete against a timer while they follow various clues in a scavenger-hunt style to determine the location that Oswald and the hosts are holding the captured contestants._

 _2: After the first clue is given out, each subsequently clue will require one team member to complete a small challenge in order to get them._

 _3: The last team to arrive at the destination will head to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony. The first team to arrive, barring whomever is sent to the Honeymoon Cabin, gets to watch the ceremony unfold._

 _4: The contestants that have been kidnapped, as players to have made early, but heavy, impression, have all been given a clue to the whereabouts of The Golden Tiki, virtually the most powerful Twist Tiki in the game._

 _5: If a team's time runs out before they make it to their next objective, they will be the losers of the challenge and head to elimination. If all the timers run out and no team has made it to their next objective, all three teams will be sent to elimination._

 _6: Physical contact with any members of an opposing team is prohibited during the challenge._

* * *

"That last rule...feels a little weird." Lina scratched her head.

"Just covering my bases." Oswald's hologram responded. "It's to avoid something like _that_ happening." He pointed to where Julia was restraining Katrina by grabbing her hair.

"Damn it, Katrina, you are _not_ going to weasel your way out of this freaking challenge _again_!" Julia said as she pulled on Katrina's hair while pushing her body away so that Katrina's attempts to scratch at Julia didn't reach.

"Can you imagine the controversy of that happening between opposing team members?" Oswald grinned. "Especially in cases of a sink or swim race, an elimination caused by such a foul tactic just wouldn't feel right."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Alright, so that's Oswald from the last season, and basically...he's _just_ like what I saw of him on TV. Not only that but…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Oswald's Hidden Area_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Dominique, Galiris, Nixia, Pierre, Steven_

"Wowww…" Galiris said as Pierre laughed at what just happened. "That had to be the most low-key pettiest thing I've ever heard anyone say."

"If I were you guys…" Oswald smiled in response. "I'd work on figuring out the clue I gave you, because The Golden Tiki is definitely _the_ Twist Tiki to grab."

"I'm already busy lookin' for a different one!" Dominique responded to Oswald. "'Sides, with 3 Ka Lani over there, and a Honua over there, I ain't worried about leatherskin dandy here-" She pointed at Pierre.

"I actually don't plan on looking for that tiki." Galiris rose a hand. "It wouldn't feel right to win because of some item."

"Oswald, you need to let me out of this cell!" Steven said from the Ka Lani cell. "I need to be able to protect Alice from-"

"Would you give it a rest already?" Clay groaned. "Your father isn't here. He isn't going to _come_ here. There's no reason for anyone to go out of their way to abuse your sister."

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I tend to ignore small annoyances like Steven's worry over Alice, and usually avoid him if he's in that kind of state, but since we're all trapped in the same cell, and I can't get away from him, or Pierre whose been heckling me for the past hour or so, I have my patience running all too thin right now."

End Confessional

* * *

"Yeah…" Nixia agreed as she occupied a Silivia originally sent over to steal Clay's Legacy Tiki by softly stroking her back. "I don't think anyone's in any physical danger. Especially with so many people on the island."

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"This is kind of boring. I'm not very familiar with Steven, and Clay is the one member of my alliance that I don't know all too well, and to be honest, I'm kind of intimidated by him. All I have in terms of preferable company is Pierre's snake, the only animal down here. But I don't have as much control over that particular snake as I would like to have."

End Confessional

* * *

"Silivia." Pierre called from his own cell that he was sharing with Dominique. "Silivia, turn this way, darling."

Silivia turned her head towards Pierre.

"If you want to have all the pets in the world from that girl, I want you to listen to my secret instructions carefully. Come here!"

Silivia slithered through the cells and back to Pierre, hissing quietly as Pierre whispered his plan to his snake.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Ah, this is most splendendiporous! Silivia and I have been given the keys to game's steering wheel, and unlike the pushovers of Ka Lani, unlike that naive Honua sailor girl, and unlike the one-track mind Dominique, I _do_ intend to find the wondrous prize promised me. Make no mistake, I will not let up attempting to procure Clay's tiki for myself at all, but when someone like Oswald speaks highly of an item, it must be powerful. It is times like these when I am thankful for Silivia's service."

End Confessional

* * *

"Oh come on, how is that fair?" Galiris protested to Oswald as she pointed to Silivia slithering away. "She can lead the rest of their team straight here if she wants!"

"I never explicitly said it was _against_ the rules." Oswald shrugged. "But something tells me Pierre has his eyes set on fish a little bigger than simply winning the immunity challenge."

"Ka Malu O will win regardless." Pierre said confidently. "With the Honua captain behind bars, and the Ka Lani major players missing from their repertoire, Ka Malu O, the team you chastise for being dysfunctional, is stronger with less mouths to argue with each other."

"Bwahahahaha!" Chris and Chef began to laugh from their seats near Oswald. "Did you hear that chef? He thinks that Ka Malu O...Is _stronger_ hahahahaha!"

"I haven't heard somethin' that funny since you pitched me the idea of purchasing our own islands!" Chef laughed, causing Chris to stop and cross his arms, before looking at the camera. "We'll be right back."

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Atop Mt. Immolate_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Cassandra, Deamian, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Maddie, Stephanie, Zubin_

"Alright, so following the first clues we were given…" Cassandra said as she, Stephanie, Alice, and Evan all ran up Mt. Immolate to reach its summit. "We _should_ find something here at the-"

She stopped as she noticed what lay before them at the top of the volcano.

"The heck?"

In front of them were three identical fire pits stationed under small threads that seemed to be keeping 3 clue signs hidden under the dirt.

"I guess...we make fire." Cassandra mumbled.

"I'll find some kindling." Evan suggested.

"I'll come too." Alice offered. "The search will go faster with two people."

As the two of them ran off, the Ka Malu O four ran up to the site.

"Yayy!" Maddie jumped up and down. "Burn-y, burn-y, burn-y, burn!" She headed up to a separate fire pit before stopping short. "Darion threw my lighter away last week!" She complained as she pointed at Deamian accusingly.

"Who the actual fuck is Darion?" Katrina asked from her book.

"We don't _need_ a lighter." Julia said. "All we need is a good bundle of sticks and some fuel to make the fire grow."

"I can go get the sticks." Deamian volunteered before running down the mountain.

"Ugh, finally the _boy_ is gone." Maddie sighed before turning to Stephanie, who was busy helping Cassandra put together a campfire structure with sticks and wood she had assembled.

"Hey Stephaniiieee…"

"No." Stephanie replied.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Look, I could see where that conversation was heading from a mile away, and I don't want to risk elimination because Maddie brushed up against my shoulder or pecked me on the cheek or something. Better to just shut her out altogether right now."

End Confessional

* * *

"It's a fire-building deal!" Lucy announced to Zubin, Kevin, and Lina as Honua arrived to the location. "I've got this! You guys go find wood!"

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Honua is unfortunately probably the slowest team overall. I mean, _I_ can run, but no one else here strikes me as the athletic type, so we should focus on completing these challenges as quickly as possible so that the timer doesn't run out and cause us to lose the challenge."

End Confessional

* * *

"Listen…" Julia pulled Katrina aside as Cassandra and Lucy both attempted to start fires while Maddie kept building up her base with wood, a grin on her face. "I get that having an Immunity Tiki can instill confidence, but do you think maybe you can actually _help_ in the challenge this time?"

"I'm sorry, did you just assume I was sitting challenges out because I was lazy?" Katrina took a break from her book to raise an eyebrow. "How retarded are you? I've been sitting out the challenges because there's nothing I can offer in an athletic setting. Why bring down the team with poor performance? It's just a waste of energy that would eventually lead to my elimination anyways. Do you honestly believe that I would be able to wield something as large and heavy as a bow and arrow efficiently? Or that I would be a formidable capture the flag opponent? Even the kid with the actual mental disability over on Honua can tell that I'm not an athletic person you fucking idiot."

"Ugh!" Julia stormed away from Katrina and towards Deamian. "Why did I even think that talking to her like that would be a good idea?"

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"Was...was that question directed at me? Am I finally being recognized as part of the team and not a depressed person anymore?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Yeah, I dunno." Deamian responded. "I guess without Pierre and Dominique to offer at least semi-sane or semi-amiable conversations you're gravitating towards the person who you know next best."

"What?" Julia asked, clearly not paying attention to Deamian. "Were you saying something just now?"

"Never mind…" Deamian sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"I guess not. Darn."

End Confessional

* * *

"Yippee!" Maddie cheered as her large fire began to rise. "It's getting there, it's getting there!"

"Good crazy girl." Katrina tossed Maddie a chocolate bar, which she began to eat immediately.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Julia seems to think that I'm avoiding these very clearly athletic challenges because I'm lazy and don't care about winning. The dumb fucking bitch made a good point though, It's about time I showed these assholes how lucky they are to have someone as smart as me on this team and not on fucking Honua."

End Confessional

* * *

*Snap*

Ka Malu O's thread snapped and up popped a sign in front of Maddie's face, as well as a cage that trapped her there to read the sign.

"I' de' crue!" She exclaimed through a mouthful of chocolate. "I' juff sayf 'De-ta'"

"Data?" Deamian asked.

" _Delta_." Julia ascertained.

"You have 15 minutes!" Maddie, who had apparently finally swallowed her mouthful of chocolate, announced.

"I know where to go. Come on." Katrina said, shocking both Deamian and Julia.

"You _do_?" Julia asked.

"What about Maddie?" Deamian wondered.

"What _about_ Maddie?" Katrina snapped. "You heard what she said, we have 15 minutes, and that's not enough time to devote any to helping her out of that cage. We continue with just us. It's faster, and we'll win."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Good lord, how the hell have these idiots not lost us every challenge?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Gah, crap!" Both Cassandra and Lucy attempted to dive out of the way of their own cage traps to no avail as they completed the first part of the challenge for Ka Lani and Honua as well. "Yeah, it just says 'Delta'." Cassandra said, scratching her head.

"Honua, the Muliwai River delta!" Lucy announced. "That's gotta' be it!"

"Come on!" Evan announced as Stephanie and Alice followed after him. "It should be this way!"

"We've got 15 minutes, Honua!" Zubin announced as Kevin and Lina hurried after him as well. "Let's move out!"

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River(River Delta)_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Deamian, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Stephanie, Zubin_

"I don't see any type of clue at all…" Julia sighed while Katrina looked around the river bank, clearly thinking to herself about what to do.

"Guys…" Deamian pointed out. "The other teams are catching up."

"Don't pay them any mind." Katrina responded. "This challenge was made to seem like one that would be a cutthroat competition, but it's doable without the effort of attempting to outpace the other teams. They'll be focused on outdoing each other. All we need to do is figure out where a clue would be hidden."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Yes! Go Katrina! Do things, finally and let's show those other teams why Ka Malu O is the best!...but seriously, I never thought I'd see _Katrina_ actually pulling weight."

End Confessional

* * *

"Which of you two is a better tree climber?" Katrina asked.

"Him." Julia volunteered Deamian.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I have no way of knowing if he _really_ is a better tree-climber, but while Katrina is focused might be a good time to learn about her actual allegiances and to confirm our alliance. After all, even if she pulls weight, she's still the bitch no one likes, which means as long as she's around, no one's going to consider going after me."

End Confessional

* * *

"I've got this!" Deamian flexed before climbing the tallest tree he came across near the river.

"He's climbing a tree!" Evan announced as Ka Lani arrived on the scene.

"I'm your acrobat!" Stephanie boasted as she leapt up into the same tree.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I happen to know that Deamian possesses a Twist Tiki that's a boy version of my own Girls' Night Out Tiki, which gives female contestants immunity, but takes away their ability to vote. I _could_ play that tiki the next time Ka Lani loses and remain safe, but then Steven would be voted off by those two boys. Instead, I'd prefer Deamian play _his_ tiki and risk a tie between Alice or I and one of the other girls. The trick now is to figure out _how_ I get him to do that."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey, Deamian!" Stephanie called out to him. "Have you gotten your groove back yet?"

"I've gotten it back, but no one seems to care." Deamian laughed back. "And no one on this team is a hot cheerleader, you know? It's kind of boring for me over here."

"Well then…" Stephanie's eyes flickered with an idea. "Maybe we can help each other after all."

"What are they talking about?" Lina asked both Kevin and Zubin as she gave a suspicious looking towards Deamian and Stephanie in the tree. "Deamian and Stephanie sitting in that tree…"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Kevin mumbled, prompting Zubin to give a laugh.

"Good one, Kev." He grinned.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I personally can't understand what it would be like to come to a reality show with your best friend only to be caught up in what amounts to some silly high-school drama, and because I can't imagine it, I have a hard time taking either Lina _or_ Deamian seriously, so of course I'm going to laugh at the foolishness of it. It's good to know that Kevin's starting to feel safe speaking up a bit more though. Our team, and by extension our alliance, thrives on communication between everyone. Even something as small as acknowledging Kevin's joke can go a long way for morale and habits. The team that stays unified is the one that wins in the end."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, I'm climbing up the tree too." Lina decided. "Maybe I can find a clue up there, after all."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Zubin agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Our athletes are Gal and Lucy, and we don't have them. I'm not the best climber. All I know is that I want to find wherever Gal is being held and win the challenge."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey, I see it!" Deamian pointed at the river as he reached a bough high above the river. "It says...huh? Shipwreck? It says Shipwreck, and 10 minutes!"

"Come on." Katrina ordered of Julia as _she_ dragged _her_ by the hair for a while before Julia freed herself and began to run at Katrina's pace.

"Where are we going now, and why are we not waiting for Deamian?"

"If you were paying attention when we were flown into the island, you'd know that there's a shipwreck near Kokoke." Katrina responded. "We're canoeing there. We don't need Deamian, and if we waited for him to get back down from as far up as he was, we'd once again be wasting time we don't have the luxury of being able to waste."

It wasn't long before both Stephanie and Lina reached high enough to confirm with their teams the clues, and the remaining contestants ran to catch up with Ka Malu O once again.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island(Shipwreck Area)_

 _Contestant(s): Alice, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Zubin_

* * *

Confessional: Alice: Ka Lani

"So Evan and I kept on Ka Malu O's trail as best we could. We're really lucky that he's as good a tracker as he is, because Katrina's intuition and Julia's ventriloquism had me confused as all heck as to the path they were actually taking. Eventually, we managed to reach Kokoke Island but…Even Honua had beaten us there."

End Confessional

* * *

"But... _how_?" Evan scratched his head as Zubin and Kevin began digging around in the sand.

"Because Honua." Zubin refused to give a real answer.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Because I knew exactly where this place was from the time Gal and I visited Dominique here, and unlike Ka Lani, Kevin and I didn't find it prudent to follow Ka Malu O to get to our destination. In fact, we got here about thirty seconds before them."

End Confessional

* * *

"Digging for clues seems to be the only real way to go about this." Julia noted to Katrina who nodded. "Get to it then."

"Aren't you going to help?"

"I'll help by being the first to make it to wherever whatshisface is hiding everyone. My figure is not one that has any sort of advantage when it comes to digging holes."

"It's not one that has any sort of advantage at all…" Julia mumbled.

"Come on, Alice!" Evan said as he began to dig like crazy. "There's no time to waste!"

"Right!" Alice responded with a nod as she began to dig as fast as she could as well.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Hah, if there's one thing that I can do better than anyone else on this island, it's dig a hole. Look out other teams, Ka Lani is about to retake first place again!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Katrina, seriously!" Julia whined whilst mimicking Lindsay. "I don't know how much more digging I can take?"

"Do you here Honua complaining?" Katrina asked from her book as she pointed to Kevin and Zubin who were both hard at work digging their own holes.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm a girl!" She began to mimic Heather. "And we weren't exactly made to go digging in the freaking dirt!"

"Sand." Katrina corrected her as she turned a page of her book.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Ugh, there's _got_ to be a faster way to do this! Where would _Oswald_ hide a clue here? Think, Julia, think!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I didn't want to have to do this…" Evan mumbled as he stood up from a hole. "But I think It might be best if I try to swim to the ships at the bottom of the lake." He suggested to Alice.

"But they're so far down there!" Alice protested. "And no one here is equipped to go diving!"

"Well, we have to try _something_! We're running out of time!"

"Time!" Zubin stood up. "That's it!"

He turned to Kevin. "Yo', Kev, see the sun?"

"Uh-huh." Kevin nodded.

"How many fingers fit between the sun and the horizon?"

"Um...four." Kevin responded.

"In that case…" Zubin headed towards the site of a shipwreck.

Katrina's eyes widened as she realized what was going on. "Julia!" She snapped. "To a shipwreck, then 4 paces inland, _now_!"

"Miss bossy pants all of a sudden." Julia mumbled as she hurried to the described position despite her complaints and began to dig.

"Evan, I'm going to follow their lead!" Alice called out.

"Good idea!" Evan responded back.

Alice, Zubin, and Julia soon all discovered their final clues, as well as the fact that they had dug deep enough to fall into sand pits.

"Katrina!"

"Kevin!"

"Evan!" They all called to the final remaining members of each team.

"We've got the last clue! You have 5 minutes! They're in the cave on this island!"

Katrina was the first to rush inland, and Kevin and Evan followed shortly after.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"This challenge has taken its toll on Ka Lani, but I have faith that even if we lose, my alliance of four will remain strong."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I'm worried about my teammates and hope that they are okay. I need to not be last to the cave."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Well, obviously I've won our team the challenge with my superior IQ, but then again, none of this was truly _challenging_."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Oswald's Hidden Area_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Dominique, Evan, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, Nixia, Pierre, Steven_

"So…" Oswald asked his captives as Silivia returned to the cage holding Pierre and Dominique and gave Pierre a nod. "Who do you think is going to get here first for you guys?"

"It's going to be Zubin or Lucy!" Galiris spoke up. "Honua is a family and our bond as a team is thicker than those of either of the other two!"

"Hah!" Pierre scoffed. "We'll see about that."

"Evan or Cassandra could get here anytime now as well." Nixia spoked up herself. "Ka Lani is _made_ of people who value teamwork after all."

"Ka Lani is made of filler contestants." Pierre scoffed again. "Ka Malu O will reign supretorious tonight."

"You've got me confused on that word." Dominique mumbled.

"Supretorious is a combination of super and victorious." Pierre explained.

"No, it's a fake word." Steven pointed out. "And I'm sure Alice and the rest of Ka Lani will be here any second."

* * *

Confessional: Steven: Ka Lani

"And the sooner I can see Alice and confirm her safety, the better. Being away from her for this long has gotten me really worried."

End Confessional

* * *

"And it looks like the first of our contestants has arrived!" Chris announced from the monitor.

Chef spat out some ice cream he was gorging himself with as he saw who it was.

"What in tarnation are _they_ doing in the lead?" He asked.

"I think you mean…" Oswald grinned as he opened the door to the hideout for the contestant "How in tarnation did they _win_?" He finished up as…

…

…

…

…

…

Katrina ran into the room.

"Ka Malu O wins!" Chris announced as Katrina opened the cage holding Pierre and Dominique. "They, with the exception of one of their team, will get to watch tonight's lucky losers eliminate one of their members at the next Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony!"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"K- _Katrina_ won the challenge? I'm done. I'm _sooo_ done. I'm dead aren't I? Is that it? I died in isolation on Kokoke and this is some weird afterlife punishment?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Of course, since the majority of the challenge was mental, Ka Malu O's, or more specifically _my_ victory, was a forgone conclusion."

End Confessional

* * *

Galiris exchanged nervous but determined looks with the three contestants in the Ka Lani cage as they both waited for their teams to come.

"Come on, Honua…" Galiris mumbled.

"Come on, Ka Lani…" Clay crossed his fingers.

"Come on, run out, timer…." Oswald semi-mocked while Chris and Chef both looked on clearly hoping for that to be the scenario.

10 seconds left…

9 seconds…

8 seconds…

7 seconds…

6 seconds…

5…

4…

3…

And then a knock at the door.

Oswald opened it and into the room ran…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… … … Kevin.

"Kevin!" Galiris cheered with glee as he opened the cage to let her out.

"You saved us!" She began to go in for a hug before stopping herself.

"Wait….do you have any hangups about touch?"  
"I don't like unexpected touch…" Kevin responded matter-of-factly, though smiling at the fact that someone was taking the time to understand his condition. "And 'deep' touch is the only touch that doesn't make me feel uncomfortable."

"Then a deep hug!"

Kevin nervously rose his arms as if bracing for it, but relaxed when Galiris delivered on the deep hug.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"It was warm and soft...like being tucked into bed under a weighted blanket…"

End Confessional

* * *

"And there we have it!" Chris confirmed as he looked out towards Evan in the hallway leading up to the door.

"That damn _snake_ …" He said from the ground as he massage his ankle. "Freakin' tripping me like that!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Well but of course Silivia would trip someone running so loudly and so fast down a hallway. How else was Ka Malu O going to win? The best part is that she doesn't count as a teammate so the touch rule needn't take effect!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"I thought Clay was kind of nervous and weird about that snake at first, but he's right. Pierre and that reptile both need to leave ASAP, and I intend to make that happen."

End Confessional

* * *

"Now that we've decided that…" Chris smiled "Honua, Ka Malu O, one contestant from each of you to head to the Honeymoon Cabin! Ka Malu O, anyone on your mind?"

"Galiris." All three present Ka Malu O nodded with each other.

"What about you, Honua?" Chris turned to Galiris and Kevin.

The two whispered with each other for a while before facing Chris again.

"Dominique." They both said.

Dominique's eyes widened.

"Oh thank goodness, I don't have to spend another night in a row on Kokoke with that Victor asshole there."

"Oh yeah…" Chris said as he turned to Chef. "How much longer is he required to do community service before we can send him back?"

"'Till the show's over." Chef grunted. "Somethin' about corporate not wanting to get its hands dirty."

"Of course." Chris sighed before turning to the Ka Lani

"Well Ka Lani, it's almost sundown, let's round up the rest of you and head to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony."

"Clay, Nixia, who do we vote off?" Evan asked.

"I'd prefer to get rid of either one of the stepsiblings." Clay whispered.

"Preferably Steven." Nixia whispered as well.

"The problem is that we don't know what might happen at elimination." Evan realized. "With all the twist tikis running around…"

He reached into his pocket and clutched his own. He _could_ use it now if he wanted to, and Steven would be sent home as the only one without immunity, but Evan wouldn't play the tiki this night just because Ka Lani lost. He wanted to wait until it was his alliance and only his alliance on the chopping block to use it.

Of course, none of the other six Ka Lani were aware that Stephanie had her _own_ plans for the evening.

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestants:_

 _Watching(Ka Malu O): Deamian, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

 _Participating(Ka Lani): Alice, Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia, Stephanie, Steven_

"Ka Malu O minus Dominique, welcome." Chris smiled as a prideful Ka Malu O walked in and sat on the winners' bench, Pierre and Katrina in particular looking pleased as he stroked Silivia affectionately and she relaxed in her seat as she read her book with a satisfied smile. "Now we'll begin the second ever Ka Lani Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony." He snickered. "Normally, in challenges like these, I like to make players who didn't or who couldn't participate safe from the vote, however, in the spirit of Oswald the opportunist, I think I'll remove that rule. Each and every one of you is fair game."

Stephanie looked over at Deamian and gave a nod.

"Actually Chris…" Deamian said as he stood up, somewhat confused by the request that Stephanie had made to him while they were in the tree. "I'd like to play a Twist Tiki…"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Ah, so Deamian and Stephanie _were_ the pair to find the tikis in Honeymoon. It is fantabulous to have that confirmed, though it truly means nothing at the moment, and likely will mean nothing for many moments yet to come."

End Confessional

* * *

Deamian took out his Grounded Guys Tiki and tossed it to Chris.

"This is...the Ground Guys Twist Tiki." Chris announced.

Evan, Clay, and Steven all looked at each other with suspicious stares.

Clay rose his hand. "What exactly does that tiki do?"

"Glad you asked!" Chris smiled. "This tiki grants immunity to all male contestants!"

"Woo!" Evan stood up.

"Hold on…" Chris stopped him. "But it also takes away your ability to vote for the night. It renders you virtually non-existent for this elimination ceremony, which means _tonight's_ elimination is decided solely by _you_ four lovely ladies." Chris gestured towards the four Ka Lani girls.

Stephanie nodded with a smile.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"If they vote me, I can beat any of them with a tiebreaker, and if they vote Alice, even if she loses, I'm still safe, and I can always play the Girls' Night Out tiki next time we lose and by the time we lose _again_ I ought to have proved my worth and spread my influence enough to become a swing vote."

End Confessional

* * *

After the girls all voted, and Chris had tallied the votes, he came back with a bag of leis.

"Clay, Evan, Steven, here you go, come up and get them." He said as he held out each boys' lei.

They slowly walked up and received their leis, turning to face the girls of the team.

"Ka Lani ladies!" Chris announced. "There are only three leis left in this bag. If your name is called, come up and receive your lei, you are safe. If you do not receive a lei, you must immediately take the Hang Glide of Shame off of the island, and you can likely never come back."

"Likely?" Nixia noticed.  
Chris ignored her. "Cassandra. You're safe." He announced over Nixia's questioning.

"Whew." Cassandra sighed as she walked up to receive her lei, and high-fived the Ka Lani boys.

"Also safe tonight…" Chris smiled as he paused.

…

…

"Is Stephanie."

Stephanie nodded and relaxed as she came up to receive her lei. She might have been a little late to the starting line, but her plan was proceeding smoothly. It no longer mattered if there was a tie or not. What mattered was that she was completely safe and had time to work on a new approach.

"Finally…" Chris looked between Alice and Nixia. "The final lei of the night, ladies, goes to…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… The winner of this tiebreaker challenge!"

"What?" Nixia asked. "Again?"

"Yep!" Chris almost laughed. "Ka Lani, you've successfully tied your vote down the middle _again_. I guess old habits die hard, don't they?"

"Alright...what's the tiebreaker?" Alice asked with a sigh.

"A _spelling bee_!" Chris grinned. "The last time our show did one of these it was over in a flash. Hopefully you two don't buckle under the pressure and can make it last. It'll go like this, first, Alice gets a word, then Nixia gets a word, then Alice, then Nixia, etc.. Now, if either of you fails to spell your word correctly, the other contestant can come in for a steal. If they successfully spell it correctly, they win and you're eliminated. Now… Alice, your first word is…'achieve'"

"Achieve, a-c-h-i-e-v-e, achieve." Alice correctly spelled.

"Nixia…" Chris turned to Nixia. "Your first word is…'pushy'"

"Wait, really?" Julia couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"We start off with easy ones and build up, okay?" Chris responded defensively.

"Pushy…" Nixia seemed unsure if this was a joke or not. "P-u-s-h-y. Pushy."

"Correct." Chris nodded.

Alice's 2nd word was committee, and Nixia's was nourish, which they both spelled correctly.

Alice's 3rd word was luxuriant, which she again spelled correctly.

Nixia's 3rd word was judicious.

"Judicious. J-u-d-i-c-i-o-u-s. Judicious." She correctly spelled.

"Correct." Chris nodded. "Alice, your 4th word is...psychedelic."

"Um…" Alice looked visibly nervous. "Psychedelic. P-s-y-c-h-a-d-e-l-i-c. Psychedelic."

"Oof, I'm sorry that's _incorrect_." Chris announced. "Nixia can come in for the steal…"

"Psychedelic. P-s-y-c-h-o-d-e-l-i-c. Psychedelic."

"Well, it looks like you're still safe Alice…" Chris snickered. "Nixia, your 4th word is...evanescent."

"Um…" Nixia thought to herself for a moment. "Evanescent. E-v-e-n-e-s-c-e-n-t. Evanescent."

"Alice?" Chris grinned. "Care to try for the steal?"

"Evanescent." Alice attempted to sound the word out in her head. "E-v-a-n-e-s-s-a-n-t. Evanescent."

"Wow, things are looking dire for the both of you." Chris said as he moved on to his next page. "Just a heads up that we have three more rounds of words left, and if no one wins, we'll just eliminate both of you, so pick up the pace!"

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"This...this isn't even challenging. All those words are easy to spell for people with common sense...I guess that means Maddie can't spell them either."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alice…" Chris turned back to Alice. "Your fifth word is...efficacious"

"Efficacious…" Alice clutched her hand over her heart.

"E-f-f-e-c-a-c-i-o-u-s. Efficacious."

"Alright Nixia...you can end it here…" Chris announced as he turned to Nixia.

"Efficacious." Nixia nodded with a gulp. "E-f-f-i-c-a-...c?...-i-o-u-s. Efficacious."

"That is _correct_!" Chris announced. "Nixia, come up and grab you lei!"

He turned to Alice.

"Alice, I'm sorry. The Hang Glide of Shame awaits."

"Wait, no you can't do this!" Steven protested. "Alice won't be safe from my father if she's on her own and-"

"Steven, chill my dude!" Chris said as he herded Alice towards the Hang Glide of Shame. "She's going to be fine. She's just staying at the Nui Kaua Playa De Losers, and she has all the other eliminated contestants and a couple interns to keep her company. She'll be _fine_."

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"Let it be known that…" He fiddles through a large stack of contract papers. "Right _here_!" He points to a piece of fine print the camera can't pick up. "It states right here that Total Drama staff and production is not responsible in any way for any minor injuries, serious injuries, or death that may occur to the contestant while they are within the domain of production." He reads off the paper before turning to the camera. "You see? Each contestant had to sign this before coming here. Nothing's going to happen, and even if something _does_ happen, no one can file a legal case against us for it."

End Confessional

* * *

"Steven, I'll be okay." Alice smiled at her stepbrother. "Besides, now you can stop worrying about me and start worrying about you! You need to get in good with your teammates if you want to win so we can go on tour together!"

"R-right." Steven didn't want to argue with his stepsister, who was taking the elimination in far more calmly a manner than he was.

"Good luck, Ka Lani!" She smiled and waved one last time before running and jumping with the hang glider.

"And there you have it." Chris turned to the camera. "We're down to 17 contestants! Will Stephanie's plan work out for her? Will Katrina continue to actually do things? Will Lina and Deamian _ever_ reconcile? Find out as we continue on…

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Alice's Final Confessional:

"Yeah, I had a feeling it would be either me or Steven tonight, and I'm glad I got to try and stay with a tiebreaker, but I guess luck wasn't on my side tonight. Oh well. I'm still a little bit worried about, you know, my step father, Steven's dad, coming for me, but I'll be staying with the other former contestants, including Hayes! So I don't think I'll have much time to worry spending time with him! I wish the best of luck to my brother and to Stephanie. I know you guys can last! In fact, go Ka Lani in general! Win the next few challenges. We know we can do it!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Alice voted for...Nixia_

 _Cassandra voted for...Alice_

 _Clay...couldn't vote_

 _Evan...couldn't vote_

 _Nixia voted for...Alice_

 _Stephanie voted for...Nixia_

 _Steven...couldn't vote_

* * *

Epilogue:

Po'ino Bonfire Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

As everyone leaves, Pierre stays by the fire and beckons for an intern with a camera to stay as well.

"It's interesting to know the kind of tiki Stephanie likely has, and I'm certain Clay is in possession of a powerful tiki as well, and make no mistake, I'm aware there must be others on my team besides Deamian who possess tikis of their own...but none of them…"

He grins at Silivia as she slithers up to his shoulder and hands him a bundle wrapped in her tail.

Pierre unwraps the bundle to reveal a gilded tiki representing the likenesses of Heather, Alejandro, Scott, Melody and Oswald. Pierre looks into the camera again. "None of them possess this Golden Tiki. It's a competitor's _dream_ tiki, and it is only natural that I be the one to take possession of it. It can't even be copied by the Copycat Tiki. Now this game can truly, _truly_ begin! Lean in and watch closely, masses of fans. You are going to witness the most fantabulous spectacle that Total Drama has ever seen!"

He gestures outwards towards the camera with a pose as the bonfire flares. He laughs as the screen fades to black.

End Confessional/End Episode

* * *

 **AN: Sorry that it's been so terribly long since the last upload. First I lost track of the time because I do that, then my dog I've had for 15 years died, and then my fall semester of college started, so I've been a little preoccupied with other things. But I'm on top of everything now, so it** _ **shouldn't**_ **be like 3 months until an update again, that said, I promise you nothing other than the fact that I'm seeing all these Total Drama fics through to the end.**


	15. Ep 7: Season Don't Fear The Drama

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

Pierre went searching for a twist tiki of his own, heading off into the passageway at the base of Mt. Immolate, but he couldn't find any sort of tiki before Zero Sum's Oswald found _him_ instead, ahahaah.

After the teams were done freaking out about their major players, Clay, Nixia, Steve, Dominique, Pierre, and Galiris, being kidnapped, Oswald explained the challenge to them, as well as handed out clues to the Golden Tiki, the most powerful twist tiki of the game, to the kidnapped contestants. Surprising everyone, it was thanks to Katrina's efforts that Ka Malu O managed to get back on track with a victory, and it was Ka Lani who went to Po'ino, where yet _another_ tie occurred, thanks to Deamian playing the Grounded Guys twist tiki and Stephanie's request. And so, Alice and Nixia were thrown into a spelling contest, which, eventually, Nixia managed to win, sending Alice home despite a now alienated Steven's protests. After the ceremony ended, Pierre revealed to the outside world that he had managed to snatch up the Golden Tiki! Just what is it he plans to set in motion? 17 contestants remain, and everyone's tensions are at an all-time high! Let's exploit it for all it's worth! The second quarter of the game begins now! Here on Total, Drama, Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

' _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Honua Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

"So what are we gonna do now that ol' cap's in Honeymoon?" Lucy asked as she leaned back in a chair as the four Honua members not trapped in the Honeymoon Cabin gathered around a table.

"Um...maybe we can do some bondy by wandering around the island?" Lina asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I can get behind that." Lucy nodded. "What do you guys think?"

"I don't mind wandering around a bit." Zubin nodded. "How about you Kevin?"

"I'm….worried." Kevin mumbled quietly.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"And I thought _I_ was supposed to be the quiet one! His voice was so soft….it was really ominous."

End Confessional

* * *

"Is he worried sailor chick might not be coming back from Honeymoon?" Lucy teased.

"Don't joke about that." Zubin responded. "She's coming back, Kev."

"...Obviously….."

"What are you worried about then?" Lucy asked, seriously. "Don't be afraid to speak up too."

"I'm worried about...is her condition."

"Shit, that's right!" Lucy's eyes widened. "She's alone in Honeymoon with Dominique. If she wanted to, our sailor girl's fitness could easily be compromised…"

"No, I don't think that will happen." Zubin shook his head. "I'd be worried if it were Katrina or Julia in there with her, but Dominique seems like she's on the outs on her own team."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I can't just say that Gal and I went to see Dominique the other week. It would seem to suspicious, and we don't need suspicion in a team of heavy thinkers like ours. But still, Kevin brings up a good point. I doubt Galiris will be able to train at all inside that cabin. Let's hope this next challenge isn't a physical one. Otherwise, we may be stuck relying only on Lucy."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, maybe we can stop by Honeymoon while we wander and try to slip a note through the door or something." Lina shrugged. "Speaking of, where do you guys want to wander to?"

"Ah." Zubin rose a hand. "On that subject, I was wondering...why don't we take some canoes to Kokoke? Dominique isn't there, so there shouldn't be a problem with visiting."

"But what's on Kokoke?" Lucy cocked her head.

Kevin brought a finger up to his mouth.

"...Victor."

Zubin's eyes widened with surprise at Kevin's knowledge, while Lina's were more filled with genuine surprise.

"Who?" Lucy cocked her head in the other direction.

"Victor….I heard….Dominique mention him." Kevin responded.

"So why would anyone want to talk to some guy named Victor?" Lucy was having trouble wrapping her head around things.

"If Chris and Chef have someone spending all their time on Kokoke, it would follow that they'd have their own camp, right?" Zubin asked. "But I studied up a bit on the last season before coming here, and Victor got fairly tiki-crazy incredibly early on. I also keep thinking of how Chris keeps alluding to players possibly being able to re-enter the game, so what if _one_ of the twist tikis allows a contestant from a different season to come back?"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"No, this is all one giant, elaborate lie, though I'd prefer not to call it that. I simply want the team to be unified towards a common goal without our de facto leader present. If we fall apart simply because Galiris isn't around to help us, we aren't going to make it as a team. It's all done in an effort to bond us closer together."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, I guess that sounds like a pretty fun adventure" Lucy smiled. "Then, we'll take two canoes, boys will take the Honua one, and us girls…"

She turned to Lina. "Let's _steal_ Ka Malu O's!"

"Mhm." Lina nodded her head before realizing what was being suggested. "Wait. _What_?!"

Lucy stayed silent and grinned.

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach  
Contestant(s): Deamian, Maddie, Stephanie, Steven_

* * *

Confessional: Deamian: Ka Malu O

"So, I bet a lot of you are wondering why I so readily played my twist tiki for Stephanie, and the answer is pretty simple."

End Confessional

* * *

As the confessional ends, a camera zooms in to Deamian and Stephanie whispering and giggling with each other, their faces getting closer after every word.

"You're so beautiful babe." He smiled.

"And you're quite the looker yourself, hot stuff." Stephanie smiled. The two got even closer until they softly pressed their lips against each other. Deamian pulled away for a bit and chuckled, looking at Stephanie who giggled, before they continued to make out with each other.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Because the little quartet of you-know-who seems to be sticking to themselves and avoiding all my best and most honest efforts to befriend _my own team_ , and Steven now essentially just being a Honua on the wrong side of the island with no incentive to remain loyal to Ka Lani, I've run out of good-looking guys to flirt with. It's been annoying, but here's Deamian, no longer depressed, so we've got a win-win friends with benefits fling going on here. Or at least...we _would_."

End Confessional

* * *

As Stephanie and Deamian continued their playful make-out session, Stephanie's nose scrunched up and she pulled away with a cough.

"Do you *cough* smell something burning?" She asked, before turning to notice Deamian, hair ablaze, running towards the water.

"And that's what you get for kissing my Stephanie!" Maddie called after him as she flicked her lighter open and closed. "That's right! I found my lighter you threw away!"

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"Humph. If Dallon thinks he can get all kissy kissy with _my_ Stephanie, then he has another thing coming!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Maddie, wha-?"

"Stephanieee…" Maddie puffed out her eyes as she dropped to the sand and crawled towards Stephanie, who began to backwards crawl away from her. "You weren't cheating on me right? He was forcing himself on you right?"

"No!" Stephanie responded adamantly. "To _both_ of those! We aren't even together, and you just ruined the most relaxing moment I've had since this game started!"

"I...I did?" Maddie's lips quivered and her eyes began to water. "I...I didn't want Stephanie to not be happy…I just...Stephanie's really sexy so Maddie wants to spend a buncha time with her!"

"Maddie, it's just not going to work out between us. You just…."

"But Maddie is cute right?"  
"Yes, you are, but-"

"Then let's us make out!"

"No! And stop being so forward, it's creepy!"

"Forward?" Maddie seemed to genuinely not understand what Stephanie was saying.

"Maddie, learn how to read a room and take social cues." Stephanie sighed. "Like, I'm not the smartest person out there, but even I know when not to interrupt someone."

"Oh." Maddie slouched as Stephanie turned and walked away. "Alright." She dropped the lighter onto the sand.

Meanwhile, Steven, on a stroll with no particular purpose, happened across Deamian, who was busy washing his hair in the lakewater.

"Deamian, you alright?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine." Deamian nodded. "I just had a bit of an accident involving fire is all. Anyway, how's life on Ka Lani now? Kind of sucks your sister was eliminated."

"Yeah…" Steven nodded. "And I'm sad about that, but at least I know she's safe now. Unfortunately, now I'm stuck on Ka Lani with no real reason to be here anymore. I sort of wish I had had Alice use the Shift Tiki to join Honua. Then this whole ordeal might not have ever happened, and I wouldn't have ticked off my old team so badly."

"Dude...that was...I feel for you, man." Deamian put a hand on Steven's shoulder. "I came to this island to surprise my best friend, but now I don't know if we'll ever to be able to talk to each other like friends again. I guess the producers knew what they were doing when they placed us in different teams than our loved ones, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Steven laughed. "Anyways, good luck in the next challenge, you're going to need it."

"I am?" Deamian asked. "Why is that."

"Because I can't let Ka Lani take any more losses. If _you_ had a twist tiki, it must have come from Honeymoon, which means Stephanie has the reverse version of yours. She plays it, and I'm out. No way Clay or Evan would vote for each other over me, and I'm not ready to lose yet either."

"Heh, I guess it's good knowing that I'm safe in my team." Deamian chuckled. "No one wants Katrina here anymore, and even if she has an immunity tiki or something, she _really_ hates both Maddie and Julia, but I don't think she cares about me. And then, once Katrina and Maddie have been exhausted, Dominique has been able to spend less and less time with us, and that's going to affect her social standing in the team greatly."

"You sure you want to tell all me this?" Steven laughed.

"Dude, what are you going to do with the information? I don't think you'd go behind anyone's back and exploit it like this."

"I guess you're right about that." Steven nodded. "But still, Ka Lani's in it to win it 100%"

"Well, same goes for Ka Malu O." Deamian grinned. "And I'm sure Honua would say the same thing too. We're all in it to win it, 100%."

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Galiris_

"So Gal, what's your deal? You like, the Honua captain right?" Dominique inquired as she and Galiris both somewhat nervously rested inside the Honeymoon Cabin. "You prolly have someone snatching up a ton o' twist tikis right?"

"Oh, I don't believe in those." Galiris shook her head. "Twist tikis I mean. Immunity Tikis are, I'd say they're fair, considering they're hidden and you have to work to find them, and that each team gets one, and I don't necessarily view twist tikis as _unfair_...I just think they're...Unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" Dominique's eyes widened. "Girl, are you sane in the head? These twist tikis are making or breaking the game for so many people, like, look at me! I am far an' away the _strongest, fastest,_ and most hard-working Ka Malu O member, and I'm at such a disadvantage because of one fuckin' piece of wood! Do you know how hard I' been lookin' for that Copycat Tiki so that I can at least have some form of leverage? I'm _cursed_! I get a vote for just being _at_ Po'ino, so immunity doesn't mean anything for me if I'm not sent to this damn cabin! I'm playing with everyone's decks stacked against me!"

"Well, you wouldn't need to worry about losing if you joined Honua with that Copycat Tiki!" Galiris boasted. "We've got our group nicely and tightly knit! The act of voting out any of us are inconceivable!"

"Then what happens when y'all lose?" Dominique wasn't convinced. "You just all vote in a circle and tie?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Galiris gestured the idea away with her palm. "We vote for who we think deserves to go home, same as any other team, and we stand by our decision, not holding anything against anyone for it."

"That is _not_ the same as any other team. We're at each other's throats over at Ka Malu O, and from what _I_ can tell, Ka Lani seemed to have created two cliques rather than banded completely together."

"Yeah, that's really weird." Galiris noted. "Aren't they supposed to be the team that values teamwork the most?"

"Valuing something, and being capable of something, only a dumbass would confuse those two up. I value my own survival more than anything, but working together is a far easier way to survive than competing."

"I can understand where you're coming from, I guess." Galiris nodded. "I value smarts and all that, and I try to come up with strategies and plans, but I'm far better and crowdsourcing ideas from the rest of my team than creating any original strategies. For the past three challenges now, I've taken a bit of a backseat in terms of thinkin' 'bout things. 'Course, I'm not dumb either, but I always focus on my crew as though they're parts of a boat, ya know? Everyone's gotta work together to make us seaworthy, and 'cuz of that, I can end up treating everyone as though they'rr the same entity, when ya know, they aren't. Everyone is their own person, and sometimes I lose sight o' that."

"I can understand what you mean, I think." Dominique nodded. "I bet if you looked at my team though, you wouldn't see a boat. You'd see a shipwreck."

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina, Lina, Lucy Pierre_

"Why are we doing this?" Lina whispered both quietly and nervously as she and Lucy carried a canoe swiftly passed the window to the cabin room where Julia, Katrina, and Pierre were residing.

"Because we're not going to mope around and gossip like the other teams." Lucy responded. "We're going to do something actually _fun_."

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Julia and Pierre were also relaxing.

"Okay, here's one…" Julia cleared her throat before she began to mimic Bridgette from classic Total Drama. "Hi, my name's Bridgette. I'm an amazing surfer and possess a beautiful voice, but I prefer to stand on my hands in a talent show instead of those qualities."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"As much as I adore her, I will not let that slide."

End Confessional

* * *

"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Splendiferous performance!" Pierre clapped the tips of his hands together softly with a smile.

Katrina sighed as she flipped through a page in her book. "Are the theatretards ready to call it a day?" She asked dryly.

"Sorry that we can still have _fun_." Julia mimicked Heather. "You haven't gotten up to go read somewhere else, so I _assumed_ you wouldn't bitch about it."

"I assumed you'd give me a fucking break for winning that last challenge for you retards. Honestly, your a team of hopeless idiots."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Mmmmmm!" Julia's 'mm'ing increased in pitch until she had to gasp for air. "Ugh, Katrina, whyyy? Why are you making it so hard for me to justify my alliance with you? When you did stuff last time, I thought I'd be able to casually slip you into the alliance that Pierre and I had going, but I can't do that if he won't accept you!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Our team is not hopeless!" Pierre stood up with an elegant flash. "For right now, as we speak, Silivia is hunting down our salvation! Clay's fabled Twist Tiki!"

"You're _still_ hung up on that piece of fucking garbage?" Katrina asked.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Katrina, how little you truly comprehend…" Pierre wagged his finger before posing dramatically.

"Once Silivia is given a command she will not rest until her task has been carried out! She is Ka Malu O's greatest weapon, and will remain that way until the game has ended!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"It is true, I possess the Golden Tiki, but why should I stop my quest for Clay's as well? If I were to simply abandoned my mission, Ka Lani would notice the change, and besides, I recall no rule stating you may not possess more than one Twist Tiki. Ergo, why not attempt to hoard them much like a dragon and precious gems of dazzling beauty?"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm surprised you, a retard dressed to reflect how truly retarded he is, and you, another retard who's real voice is so ear-splittingly fucking awful that she has to mimic the voices of others to get by, are attempting to lecture me, the only one on this team with any fucking knowledge that our canoe was taken by the Honua bitches." Katrina responded, without batting an eyebrow.

"It was taken?!" Julia asked, standing up. "I'll go get it back!"

"No, that idea is dumb and you're dumb for thinking it. The challenge is going to fucking start soon."

"And how do you know that?" Pierre asked as Julia crossed her arms and agreed with him. "Yeah, how _do_ you know that?"

"Because it's almost midday, Pierretard, Julidiot." Katrina sighed as she stood up. "I'm sure Chris has some dumb challenge about to be announced, so I'll make my way up to Mt. Immolate now."

"Wait, Why there?"

"It's the center of the island." Katrina shrugged. "If he's not beginning the challenge there, he'll be close by. Learn to identify a fucking pattern."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Everyday. I'm reminded that no one here can match my IQ of 187 every single fucking day."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

"Let me get this straight." Victor sighed as Honua stood in front of him. "The four of you...knowing Dominique was absent, and I was thus free of responsibility, rowed out here, _just_ to harass me?"

"No-" Zubin began. "That's not-"

Lina couldn't help herself. "Is there a tiki that let's previous season's contestants return to the game?" She blurted out. "Please, we stole a boat to get here so-"

"Stole a boat eh?" Victor's brow furrowed. "One sec, Lemme just call Chris and tell him Honua used a boat that didn't belong to them."

"He's not actually going to do it, Lina." Lucy said when she noticed Lina hyperventilating.

"Yeah, there isn't a tiki like that, either." Victor sighed. "I'd have found it a long time ago if there was."

"Wait...you know where the tikis are?" Lucy asked.

Victor shrugged. "Sure, but I'm not going to tell any of you for free. Cough up your money or-Oh that's right. You don't have any. I guess you'll just have to clean up the beach for me then."

"We don't have the time." Kevin voiced his concern to the rest of the team.

"It's fine, we aren't going to clean a beach for information that may not even be true anymore. There's no telling who found a tiki since Victor saw them.

"I know one person who found a tiki since I saw it." Victor grinned. "Consider this info on the house. The Golden Tiki, the most powerful tiki in the competition….I know who has it. Furthermore, the Heaven Immunity Tiki, you know, the Immunity Tiki specific to Ka Lani, that none of them got a clue to because they all decided to participate in the second challenge? That tiki is still out there, and I know where it's hidden. You want the full scoop, you invest the time in and clean the beach for me."

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Coming from someone who _didn't_ give me the creeps as much as that guy did, that would have sounded like a very interesting deal."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I wonder if he's made that deal with Dominique too? It appears this little adventure isn't over yet."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Gal's not going to like hearing about a search for tikis, but its best I let her know what happened so that we're all still on the same page as a team."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia_

"And so that's why I don't go by my actual name. I go by my stage name, Cassandra, instead."

*tsp*

"I hear that." Clay nodded. "I responded to 'Loner' for the longest time. In fact, I probably still do. That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with Sophie-"

*tsp**tsp*

"What the hell is that?" Clay asked looking around, placing a hand on his guitar case.

"Not the snake again." Cassandra sighed.

*tsp**tsp*

"No, no, it doesn't sound like a snake."

*tsp*

"Hey yeah, it sounds more like-"

"Eeeyahhh!" Both Evan and Nixia emerged from the bushes as Clay accidentally stepped on Evan's foot.

"What the hell?" Cassandra asked, shocked. "What were the two of you doing?"

Color rushed to both Evan's and Nixia's cheeks.

"We were just, um…" Nixia looked around.

"What were we doing again?"

"I was simply letting Nixia know how much she means to me." Evan said with a smile at Nixia, who beamed back at him.

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Sooo, it's official! We confessed to each other on the way back from Po'ino last week, and I mean, I know that couples who confess usually end up eliminated soon after, but I mean, if Hubert and Carys could make it as far as they did, and if Mike and Zoey can reach the end of All-Stars, then maybe Evan and I can be like one of those pairs!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Sorry about your foot, man." Clay said as he held out a hand for Evan.

"Don't worry about it." Evan nodded as he shook Clays hand along with a nod. "And by the way…" He pointed to where a sleeping Silivia lay quietly.

"Nixia caught her as she was slithering towards the camp. Don't worry about her anymore. We won't let her get to you."

Clay made sure Siliva was asleep and sighed. "Okay. Since you're doing all this for me, I'm going to go out on a limb...and I'm telling you right now, I don't want to do this, but I feel like I owe you after seeing this help."

He opened his guitar case and took out the Legacy Tiki.

"This is the Legacy Tiki. I was the contestant who won it during the interview. It supposedly gives me an advantage in the penultimate challenge, and if I'm voted off, I have to will it to another contestant. It's what Pierre is trying to steal with that snake of his."

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Ooh, okay, now his paranoia makes sooo much more sense to me. Still, I'm a little peeved that it was Evan and not, you know, me divulging my innermost feelings, that encouraged him to show us. I'm not in some weird reverse love triangle am I?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"I think the bromance between Clay and Evan is cute. You don't get to see something like it everyday, especially on Total Drama. Besides…" Nixia brings her hands up to her cheeks and closes her eyes with embarrassment as she smiles. "Evan's let me know very well just how much I mean to him, and I know he wouldn't do the same thing with Clay in a million years."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Okay, to clarify, because looking back on it, I can see how some of you might be getting the wrong idea, we were simply making out, that's it. We're on international TV after all."

End Confessional

* * *

"BEEEEEEEP" Chris shouted as he appeared behind the gathered quartet.

"Campers, please gather in Nahele Forest for your next challenge! We've brought back a fan favorite that everybody loves! Challenge wise, I mean. No cameo assistant this time."

* * *

*Later*

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Today's challenge…" Chris grinned as all the remaining contestants gathered around. "Is the grand return of...Phobia Factor! Thanks to the interviews, we all know your deepest, darkest fears, and we've decided to exploit the heck out of them! You know, for profit! I think you're all aware of how this challenge works, but just in case you aren't I'll explain it to you. You face your fear, you score a point for your team. You chicken out or let your fear conquer you, you get zilch. Team with the highest score wins, team with the lowest score loses. If two teams have the lowest score, there will be no tiebreaker, and instead, they will _both_ be sent to Poino, though they can collectively decide the lone member of the winning team to send to the Honeymoon Cabin. Everyone understand their situation?"

All the contestants either responded with yes answers or nodded to show that they understood the rules of the challenge.

"Good." Chris smiled, almost wickedly. "In that case...Julia!"

"Me?!" Julia's eyes widened.

"It won't matter how wide you open those eyes with _this_!" Chris smiled as he held out a blindfold.

"Noooooo!" Julia mimicked Owen's voice. "Why? Sweet, merciful island gods, whyyyy?"

"Don't tell me your afraid of being blind." Katrina rolled her eyes.  
"Not..just that…" Julia sniffled.

"Oh Katriiiinaaa…" Chris called as he took out a drape-covered jar. "Want to see what's in the jar?"

Katrina went quiet and silently shook her head.

"It's _slugs_!" Chris announced as he revealed the jar to be filled to the brim with slugs, squirming over each other. "All _you_ have to do is stick you hand in it for 2 minutes."

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"We _were_ gonna say 5, but the interns kept getting 'used' to the slugs at around the 3 minute mark, so we had to cut it down a bit."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Katrina's Fear: Slugs_

"Come on Katrina, when you put in effort you don't make us as angry!" Dominique...encouraged?. "Just put your fuckin' hand in! You've got this!"

"Would you be quiet, preferably for the rest of the day?" Katrina asked as she slowly walked up to the jar of slugs.

Her face grimaced and her nose scrunched up.

"Do...I... _have_ to?"

"If you want a point, you sure do!" Chris smiled.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I don't seem to have much of a choice this time. If _I_ don't score points for my team, I doubt any of these retards will pull through."

End Confessional

* * *

"You're really fucking lucky you have me on this team." Katrina pointed at the rest of Ka Malu O before turning back to the jar of slugs, and slowly, but surely, plunging her hand inside.

The shivers that went up Katrina's spine were entirely visible to everyone.

"And how long do I have to do this?" Katrina asked without moving her gritted teeth. "Two minutes?"

"Just two minutes." Chris nodded. "And you still have...1 minute and 55 seconds to go now."

"Great." Katrina responded both bluntly and sarcastically.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Well, I thought they were going to go with mimes for my fear, but I suppose they really wanted to get deep down and dish out our _biggest_ ones, and in my interview...I said my biggest fear was being blinded while other people constantly made fun of my natural voice...I like to think if it was just one or the other, I could handle it, but I'm not sure about both of them at the same time. Hopefully Katrina can pull through for us again."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Julia's Fear: Blindness and Her Own Voice_

"While Katrina's doing that…" Chris grinned as he tied a blindfold around Julia's eyes. "Julia, you mind explaining, in your own words _and voice_ , to the rest of the contestants what's going on with your part of this challenge?"

"Um…" Julia responded in her own voice, causing nearly all the contestants to bring their hands up to their ears as though it was painful to hear. "I'm being blindfolded because I-"  
"Just stop! Stop, it's too much for us!" Maddie complained.  
"My ears feel like they're going to bleed out and fall off my head due to lack of circulation." Katrina added from where she was still clearly struggling to keep her hand inside the jar.

As time passed and Julia heard more insults about her voice, and Katrina get less and less comfortable with her hand in the jar, eventually, Julia took of the blindfold and ran away at the same time Katrina could no longer keep her hand amongst the slugs.

"Well, had enough at the same time, eh?" Chris grinned. "Unfortunately, Julia couldn't last the full amount of time she was supposed to listen to those remarks about her unfortunate true voice, but Katrina manages to last a good 30 seconds over the time limit for hers! Ka Malu O at 1 point!"

"Wait a minute, I had my hand in there for 30 seconds _longer_ than I needed to? Why didn't you tell me the two minutes were up when they were up?"

"Hey, wait another minute!" Lucy noticed. "How come we're doing this challenge now! Honua has one member less than the other two teams, how is that fair to us?"  
"It _isn't_!" Chris smiled. "But if your team hadn't have lost so many challenges, and if Steven hadn't have switched, you wouldn't be in your situation. I don't play the game, I just host it, hahaaah!"

* * *

Confessional: Lucy

"I've got a couple of guys I want to introduce to Chris after this is all over." She holds up her fists, one at a time. "Righty and Lefty, and they're eager to meet him, you get me?"

End Confessional

* * *

"With Ka Malu O at 1, and no one on the other teams to have gone yet...Kevin!" Chris beamed as Kevin froze up. "Care to give a little speech?"

 _Kevin's Fear: Non-stop Public Speaking_

"I don't want...to give any speech." Kevin mumbled as he looked around nervously.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I'm not good at speaking publicly. I never have been. All those eyes one me, and I have to raise my voice too, which I never like doing. To me, even semi loud noises like a balloon popping are...really loud noises, like an explosion happening. And on top of that all...the eye contact...I'm not sure I can do this."

End Confessional

* * *

Kevin sighed as he walked up and turned around to speak, and for a second, he thought he was going to pass out, but when he noticed his entire team looking at him with such encouraging expressions on their faces, he felt almost a million times more at ease. He took a deep breath, and began.

"I'm not the most vocal person. I want to be. I want to be more vocal almost all the time, but I can't ever find the right things to say. Even now I'm not sure about the right thing to say, but I do know a few things that I want to say. I'm happy that I was placed on Honua. Looking at each of you right now is managing to help me face my deepest fear, after all. Lucy, Lina, Zubin, Gal, thank you very much for bearing with me even after all this time, even after I found and then used the Earth Tiki, and I want to apologize for that too. I was still so nervous, and didn't know who to trust or what to do, but now I know exactly who I can trust, and that's each of you. I wouldn't trade this team for the world. I hope we can all-"

"And that's time!" Chris grinned as he cut Kevin off. "And Kevin puts Honua on the board with one as well! Let's see how Ka Lani can do!"

And so, the challenges continued.

Stephanie managed to put up with simulated disfigurement for a good hour,

Clay was able to face his biggest fear of spiders by letting one rest on his arm for a few minutes.

Nixia, unfortunately, couldn't quite get a handle on her 'burial at sea' to simulate her drowning, and had to be pulled up, but she wasn't alone, because Dominique, despite her efforts, couldn't bring herself to face the giant centipede that Chris had prepared for both her and Lina's fear, though Lina herself _was_ able to conquer it after some more reassurance from the rest of Honua.

Finally, it was Steven's turn.

"Steven…" Chris grinned. "We've got a special live feed to show you! It's your sister, resting comfortably at Playa de Losers!"

"What's so scary about that?" Lina wondered aloud.

"Ugh, he's not some creep who's afraid his sister doesn't need him is he?" Lucy asked.

"This…" a back to normal Stephanie shared a nervous look with the rest of her team. "Could be a problem. You guys remember what Steven's reason was for even joining our team, right?"

"I hope he doesn't actually believe-" Clay began to agree before.

"Stop the feed! Stop it!" Steven stood up as he pointed and everyone looked over to see a large man chasing a bruised Alice throughout the losers resort.

"Steven-!" Chris began.

"Stop the feed, call the police, we need to get the police there right now and-!"

"Steven!" Chris shouted. "That's not your father! It's Chef! Alice is in on it too, look!"

Chef and Alice both turn to the camera and smile as they wave into it.

"O-oh...Oh, thank goodness…" Steven put his hand on his heart

 _Steven's Fear: Watching Alice Being Abused_

"Well, you had a good run...I guess." Chris shrugged at Steven as he relaxed, knowing Alice was safe. "But you didn't make it to your time limit, so Ka Lani is still at 2."

"Next up…" Chris grinned as he pressed a button hidden from the contestants view.

*WeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEWOOOOOOoooooooweeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEWOOOOOoooo*

"GYAHHHHH!" Galiris screamed as she shuddered before she ran off in a sprint.

 _Galiris's Fear: Fire Truck Sirens_

"Gal, wait!" Zubin called. "There's not actually a-"

"What an oddly specific fear." Nixia cocked her head.

"I guess Honua is still at 2 also." Evan agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"I like to think that if I _knew_ I was about to face my fear, I'd have handled better, but what ifs aren't gonna change the score. The reason I ran off though wasn't directly because the siren scared me, it was because...I sorta ruined my clothes thanks to being startled, and I'm not about to let cameras catch that, so I hauled it back to the Honua cabin to change."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Maddie's Fear: Garbage Truck Work_

"No! No! Burn it all down! Kyahahahahaha!" Maddie maniacally laughed as she attempted to set fire to the garbage truck she was busy dealing with.

"I don't think she's truly _faced_ her fear as much as she's let it take over her psyche." Chris said. "Not seeing any actual progress here."

 _Lucy's Fear: Old People_

"And thank you again, Father McLean." Lucy shuddered as she shook Chris's father's hand as the old geezer got on board a boat and left.

"And Lucy manages to get yet another point for Honua!" Chris announced. "That's Honua at 3, Ka Lani at 2, and Ka Malu O at 2! Let's see how Pierre handles _his_ opponent today!"

 _Pierre's Fear: Bad Fashion_

"This is decidedly, _not_ fantabulous." Pierre said as he came out of the Ka Malu O cabin in what amounted to a gym uniform. "It lacks the oomph, the pizazz! Silivia wouldn't be caught dead near these clothes, and she's a snake with no innate sense of fashion."

"Well, you've got to wear them." Chris shrugged, and while we do that, Zubin! We've got your fear all set up in your team's cabin!"

"You do?" Zubin asked, somewhat confused.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I'm not sure when they found the time to set up _my_ fear, for multiple reasons. The first of which being, Chris hasn't left this large group since the challenge began, but I'm not complaining. I have a very strong feeling I'll be able to face _my_ fear."

End Confessional

* * *

Zubin walked to the Honua cabin and opened the door.

"No wait! Don't-!"

But it was too late. The door was opened, and Zubin saw it. A clothesless Galiris standing in the center of the room, shielding her various assets from view.

 _Zubin's Fear: Pretty Naked Women_

"Someone stole all my clothes, and now you're walking in." Galiris's brow furrowed. "You better have a good explanation, or this team is heading _straight_ to Po'ino, so help me-!"

"I didn't steal your clothes, I swear!" Zubin said.

"Why aren't you looking away?!" Galiris asked.

"Because I'm doing my fear challenge!"

"You're afraid of me?!"

"No! Just a naked you-"

"Is there something wrong with my body?!"

"No! It's just...Umm, uhhh…Chris, am I done with the challenge yet?" Zubin called out.

"Honua clocks in at 4 points, sure." Chris announced with a shrug.

"Gal, I'm _so_ sorry this happened to you." Zubin said as he finally turned away and knelt down. "I didn't think they would do this to another contestant when I answered in the interview."

"Wait...what do you mean you didn't think- aren't you supposed to just answer honestly? It shouldn't take much thought to- Ooohhhhhh…"

"Yeah."

"Well, now I'm angry at and disappointed in you for a whole separate reason." Galiris rolled her eyes. "Now leave the cabin and rejoin the others. I need to have my clothes returned to me and change in _privacy_."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I'm familiar with Total Drama's MO, so I knew there was something fishy about the fear question, which is why I decided to *ahem* answer in the way I did. Seeing it all play out now, I honestly feel really bad about it, and will be doing whatever I can to make up for it, but at least we got the point."

End Confessional

* * *

Pierre managed to remain in his gym clothes all day, while Cassandra and Deamian were both successful in dealing with a blobfish and chameleon respectively, bringing their teams up to 3 points each.

"Alright, Evan…" Chris grinned. "You can tie up with Honua if you _just_ manage to face...Chuckles!"

Chris gestured to the forest and out waddled a party clown.

 _Evan's Fear: Clowns_

"Hey hey hey, I heard there's a guy out here on this island who was raised by animals! I wonder if they were balloon animals!"

"You get that thing out of here!" Evan shouted as he hid behind Clay.

"Oh." Chris sighed. "That's a bummer. I was hoping Evan would tie up with Honua. Would have made this next bit that much more _fun_." He snickered.

"Wait a minute…" Lina took count of the scores. "Ka Lani 3, Ka Malu O 3, Honua 4, we won! We won guys!"

"Whoa now…" Chris stopped them. "I wouldn't celebrate so prematurely, Honua. Not only did we conduct interviews with the contestants...we also _fact checked_ them!"

"Ow!" Zubin rubbed the spot on the upside of his head that a stern looking Galiris smacked silently.

"It looks like two of you _already_ know what's going on, but allow me to explain to the rest of the players." Chris laughed. "It turns out that Zubin wasn't quite honest with us about his fear, so as such…instead of gaining a point…Honua is going to _lose_ a point!"

Honua groaned as Ka Lani and Ka Malu O cheered.

"Wait a minute, that would put as at 2!" Lucy realized. "Zubin you lying little shit, you're gonna fucking-"

"Wait a minute!" Galiris bellowed, causing everyone to go silent.

"I agree with all of you, this whole thing is outrageous...but this simply isn't fair to our team either. Out of all the contestants, I was the _only_ one who wasn't directly informed when they were about to face their fear, so I never had the split second that everyone else did to prepare mentally. I was essentially forced into my situation by the staff, who, by the way, set things up so that I wouldn't be able to find any clothes. They directly caused the situation Zubin witnessed to happen, despite knowledge of his true fear from the beginning."

"So. Fucking. What?" Katrina asked. "You lost. Get over it."

"No, I won't, because this entire thing didn't need to happen in the first place!" Galiris gestured. "Either production doesn't need to warn anyone about their fears before being faced, in which case, they should have just made Zubin face whatever his true fear is, or production _does_ need to warn everyone about their fears before being faced, in which case, I was unjustly targeted to lose. In either scenario, one of us is perfectly allowed to make up for the failure."

"Alright, Galiris." Chris grinned. "Since you seem so sure about this, I'll cut you a deal. You and Zubin are putting your places in the game on the line right now. We won't penalize your team. You're at 3 right now. Zubin does, technically, still have a fear to face. If he succeeds, Honua can get to 4 honestly, but should he fail... _both_ of you are taking the Hang Glide of Shame home. Care to put all your eggs in that basket?"

"Galiris," Zubin tried to whisper. "We still have an outlier from our alliance to vote for at Po'ino, there's no need to make such a fuss about-"

"You're damn right I'll put all my eggs in that basket!" Galiris announced.

"Gal, what are you doing?!" Zubin whispered worriedly to her.

"There's no way I'm letting you get away with seeing me naked and then _not_ having to face your real fear. Don't forget, you put us in this situation with _your_ lie. Besides, if we _do_ get to 4 points, we can finally even the teams up again!"

"Galiris says go ahead!" Chris called into the woods, where a buzzing sound could be heard.

Chef slowly walked out, laughing, with a large barrel of honey and an even larger jar full of yellowjackets.

Zubin gulped and looked over at his teammates. "For Honua." He repeated to himself as he walked towards Chef to get ready. "For Honua...For Honua…"

After he was lathered with honey, Zubin stood, arms outstretched, as the yellowjackets began to swarm around him.

"For Honua."

10 seconds.

 _For Honua._

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40 seconds left.

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"For Honua…"

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"Time!" Chris announced with a smile. "Honua _wins_!"

"Fuck yeah!" Lucy cheered. "Sailor girl with that final hour diplomacy! Woo!"

"What about the guy covered in bees?" Zubin mumbled with a smile on his face.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"There is no way I'm going to actually say that to them right now. I can't be the one taking credit for anything. In fact, all in all, this challenge was a good look for the other contestants into Honua. They're now convinced that Gal is the one calling the shots, and our alliance _is_ going to the final 4 in an ideal world, but I'm certainly not the player they'll be targeting come merge. I actually sort of owe Gal a bit now, I think. The pragmatist in me was about to sacrifice Lina, but it was because of her decision that we managed to win today. I suppose it takes more than strategic know-how to make the correct calls in tense situations. Heh, I guess that's why she's our captain." Zubin laughs a bit at his own humor before the confessional cuts out.

End Confessional

* * *

"Ka Lani, Ka Malu O…" Chris turned to the other two teams. "With 3 points each, you're both sending someone home tonight. I'll see you at Po'ino. Before that however...anyone in particular you want to send to Honeymoon, _alone_?"

"Zubin!" They all immediately stated.

"I guess that's fair." Zubin nodded.

* * *

 _Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Watching: Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy_

 _Participating 1st: Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia, Stephanie, Steven_

 _Participating 2nd: Deamian, Dominique, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

"Ka Lani…" Chris announced. "We're on a tight schedule here, so I'll keep this short. Anyone who wants to play a Twist Tiki, now would be the time to do so…"

Evan's leg shifted up and down rapidly.

Stephanie looked around and rose a hand. "Does a twist tiki carry over to _everyone_ here?" She asked a Ka Malu O waiting in the wings for their own Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony.

Chris thought about it.

"Technically, the ceremonies are two different ones, just back to back, so no. According to the rules of the game, Ka Malu O technically isn't present here, even if they happen to be waiting just over there."

"Alright." Stephanie nodded. "In that case, I'm playing this Girls' Night Out Tiki!"

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I don't _want_ to play the tiki now, but if I don't there's a chance that they'll vote me off. I'm too buddied up with some of the Ka Malu O members, and for whatever reason, the group calling the shots on this team seems to _hate_ them. I don't want to risk my elimination. Sorry Steven."

End Confessional

* * *

"This _is_ the Girls' Night Out Tiki." Chris announced as he examined it. "Stephanie, Cassandra, Nixia, the three of you are all safe, but may not vote. Clay, Evan, Steven. It's one of you tonight, boys. Clay. You're up to vote first."

Clay slowly walked up and wrote his vote down, before slowly walking back.

Steven followed suit in the same fashion, writing a slow vote down, before trudging back to his seat.

Evan was the last to go. He gulped as he wrote a vote down.

"I'm really, _really_ sorry about this man. I just...I want to save the Dove Tiki for an emergency, and this isn't one of them. If you want to blame anyone, blame Honua. This whole situation is their fault."

Evan walked back to his seat and Chris nodded. "I'll go tally the votes."

"Are you mad at Zubin for something?" Kevin whispered to Galiris as Chris went to tally the votes.

"Extraordinarily." Galiris replied.

"You aren't going to vote him off right?"

"Of course not." She replied again, this time looking directly at Kevin with a smile. "I won't allow Honua to vote anyone off. It took us too long to get to where we are as a team for me to throw it away. You have the same opinion I do you know. Wouldn't trade it for the world."

Kevin fought the urge to look away, and instead smiled back with a nod.

"Yeah."

"Alright…" Chris announced as he came back with a large back. "If anyone has a hidden immunity tiki and would like to play it, now would be the time."

No one moved, and Chris nodded as he continued his speech.

"I have two leis in this bag. If I call your name, come up and grab a lei. If you don't receive a lei, you must immediately take the Hang Glide of Shame off of the island, and you know the rest."

"Do we?" Clay's brow rose.

"Do you?" Chris's devilish grin widened. "It doesn't matter to you yet though, because you are _safe_!" Chris held out Clay's lei. "Come up and get it."

Clay slowly walked up to grab his lei.

"And…" Chris grinned. "Our final lei of the ceremony goes to…"

…

…

…

…

"Evan." Chris announced. Evan nodded as he walked up to receive his lei.

"Steven, I'm sorry bro." He said. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"If it's any consolation man…" Clay whispered. "We were going to vote for Stephanie but...you know…"

"It's fine, guys, really." Steven smiled as he stood up. "I learned today that no matter where either of us is, I'm still going to worry about my sister. It's something I'll have to live with, but those that I consider my family are worth more to me than any amount of money. I'm probably happier with them than I am on this show."

He walked towards the Hang Glide of Shame and waited. He and a Ka Malu O would be sharing the ride, after all.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Look, I know, I know she's been pullin' weight recently but with her goddamn 'tude, Katrina has _got_ to go."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"I find Katrina to be...a distraction currently. Julia seems to like hanging around her for reasons uncertainable, and I will not have my alliance usurped."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"These fucking retards still don't realize that I'm not going home tonight. It's going to be Dominique, all thanks to my handy Hell Immunity Tiki."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ka Malu O, you guys know who you want to vote for?"

"Yes!" Maddie stood up. "I'm super duper certain! Here!" She held out her Bat Tiki. "I'm playing it! The Tiki! The Bat Tiki from way way way back!"

"The Bat Tiki grants the player extra votes equal to the number of original Ka Malu O members left in play." Chris announced as he confirmed the Bat Tiki's authenticity. "Maddie will receive 6 extra votes for this ceremony."

"Oh _hell_ yes!" Dominique grinned before glaring at Katrina. "Miss IQ bitch is fucking _toast_!"

Katrina rolled her eyes.

"Can we vote already?" She asked. "I want to finish the chapter I'm on in my book."

"Alright then." Chris nodded. "Deamian, you're up."

Deamian walked up and cast his vote.

Pierre after him.

Dominique was third.

Maddie was fourth.

Julia cast her vote.

Finally, Katrina cast her own vote. "Fucking retards, all of you." She muttered.

She didn't even sit back down before handing Chris the Hell Immunity Tiki.

"What the fuck is with all these tikis being played tonight?" Lucy shouted from the winners' bench.

"Right?" Lina agreed.

"Play another one!" Galiris called. "Rid the game of them!"

"Well…" Chris said as he caught the Hell Immunity Tiki. "I guess...this is the Hell Immunity Tiki, so any votes cast against…"

"Me." Katrina assured him. "Against Katrina won't count….so I think I'll read them out loud this time." He grinned. "I'm sure it'll be more entertaining that way.

He retrieved the voting jar and, after tallying the votes, pulled one out.

"Well, firstly, The Curse Tiki gives Dominique one vote." Chris grinned. "But we also have one vote for...Katrina. That doesn't count.

..

..

A second vote for Katrina. Doesn't count.

...

One vote for Deamian.

…

A third vote for Katrina. Doesn't count.

…

A second vote for Dominique.

…

A fourth vote for Katrina. Doesn't count.

That's 1 vote Deamian, 2 votes Dominique, 4 votes for Katrina that don't count.

…

…

…

That's a second vote for Deamian.

…

…

…

That's a third vote for Deamian!

And a fourth vote for Deamian!

A fifth vote for Deamian!"

"Wait...what the fuck?" Katrina's voice cracked slightly.

"A sixth vote for Deamian!" Chris continued to speak.

"And a seventh vote for Deamian!" He announced. "That's an _overwhelming majority_ to lose by. You must have really screwed up somewhere along the line."

"Yeah…" Deamian's eyes narrowed as he looked at Maddie. "I think I know what happened."

"You retarded fucking loli!" Katrina rushed towards Maddie and picked her up by the neck. "Your buffoonery just wasted two perfectly powerful tikis. What on earth were you thinking about?"

"Ch-" Maddie attempted to respond

"Chocolate? I fucking swear if you say it was chocolate, I'll-"

"Ch-choking!" Maddie protested, at which point what little strength Katrina's arm actually had gave out and she dropped Maddie to the ground.

"I'm going to our fucking cabin." Katrina stormed off. "I hope you all fall into the magma."

"I think we should get going, don't you?" Deamian asked Steven.

"Yeah, yeah I think we've had our fun here and should probably head to Playa de Losers." Steven agreed.

The two hurriedly took the Hang Glide of Shame off of the volcano.

"Deamian, wait!" Lina stood up, but it was too late. The Hang Glide of Shame had already begun. Deamian was out of earshot.

"And that's...the episode…" Chris looked unsure of how to spin a positive take on what just happened, even by his standards.

"Will Katrina calm down before she decides to kill Maddie? W-will Honua keep avoiding Po'ino? Will Ka Lani ever be able to work as an entire team? Find out...hopefully good answers...next time!

On Total…

Drama…

Nui Kaua!...uhh, hey Chef, is there any room in the infirmary tent or have the injured interns filled it again?"

* * *

*Steven and Deamian's Final Confessional:

"Well, things could have definitely gone better." Steven retrospected.

"For both of us." Deamian added. "I mean, I never really got my chance to make up with my friend."

"And I never really got make amends with Honua…"

"And we both missed out on nabbing Stephanie for a fling."

"I don't think you should talk about girls like that."

"I can't help it with her though!" Deamian defended himself. "Did you see her? She was freaking hot! She kissed like a freaking pro and her breasts were-"

"That's enough!" Steven rose his voice. "Let's at least lose with dignity here. I guess this game is no place for worried brothers and best friends. Good luck Ka Lani and Honua!" Steven turns to Deamian. "You gonna wish Ka Malu O luck?"

"Hell no, I'm not!" Deamian laughed. "Lina, Stephanie! You two make it as far as possible alright? Make me proud to have met such awesome women!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)*Ka Lani_

 _Cassandra didn't vote_

 _Clay voted for… Steven_

 _Evan voted for… Steven_

 _Nixia didn't vote_

 _Stephanie didn't voe_

 _Steven voted for… Evan_

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)*Ka Malu O_

 _Deamian voted for...Katrina(doesn't count)_

 _Dominique voted for...Katrina(doesn't count)_

 _Julia voted for...Katrina(doesn't count)_

 _Katrina voted for...Dominique_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Maddie voted for...Deamian(Bat Tiki extra)_

 _Pierre voted for...Katrina(doesn't count)_

 _The Curse Tiki voted for...Dominique_


	16. Ep 8: Whose Tiki Is It Anyway?

_*Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua,

"Deamian finally managed to get his groove back, and began to get _really_ chummy with Stephanie, much to Maddie's displeasure. After interrupting a different make-out session between Evan and Nixia, Clay showed his alliance his Legacy Tiki as an act of trust. Katrina, Pierre, and Julia continued to show off just how poorly Ka Malu O could function as a unit with their constant bickering, and while Galiris was in the Honeymoon Cabin, having a heart-to-heart with Dominique, Honua stole a canoe.

The challenge was the great return of Phobia Factor, with a few added surprises! Zubin lied about his fear and got an eyeful, but when his lie came to light, it was Gal's _stupidly_ reckless decision to put both her and Zubin's games on the line that managed to keep Honua on top anyways, sending both Ka Lani and Ka Malu O to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, effectively evening the teams out once more to five players each! You did good, Honua. You did good.

At Ka Lani's elimination ceremony, Stephanie correctly played the Girls' Night Out Tiki, saving herself once again, while Steven was sent home by Evan and Clay.

At the Ka Malu O elimination, the popular opinion among the team was to vote off Katrina, and when Maddie played the Bat Tiki, Katrina played her Hell Immunity Tiki and negated all the votes against her. Unfortunately for her, the play proved to be a complete waste as Maddie had used her seven votes on Deamian for his companionship with Stephanie, effectively blindsiding everyone on her team at once, and boy was Katrina _furious_.

With Deamian and Stephanie gone, we're down to fifteen players! Who has the knowledge needed to remain in play, and whose not so lucky guesses will earn them a trip on the Hang Glide of Shame? Find out right now! On Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_ **  
**  
The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,  
**_  
Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_ **  
**  
The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun  
**_  
The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won  
**_  
A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_ _  
_  
Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana  
**_ **  
**The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Zubin_

"Well…" Zubin sighed to himself as he noticed the open trap door in the ceiling. "I guess there's no more tikis in here, so that's good to confirm."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Well, here I am, alone, in Honeymoon until the next challenge. Solitary confinement sucks so there's that. I guess I can somewhat empathize with Dominique now, though me being here is largely my own fault rather than an unfortunate coincidence. I've got no one to talk to, no Lucy, no Kev, no Gal, no Lina, not even any interns. Just this Confessional camera and myself. At least it gives me time to think out loud I suppose. My biggest worry, right now, is that Kevin and Galiris are going to bond too close too quickly. He's more of an open book than I would have expected, and she's been getting fond of him lately. On its own, it isn't much of a problem, but combined with the fact that Gal is supposed to be the bottom of our alliance, and that Kevin has tended to act on emotions more often than logic, I'm worried that if I end up having to blindside her, because she's a huge threat in terms of physique, Kevin may not be inclined to vote alongside me anymore, and my alliance can't crumble until I have my fail safe set up completely, which I can't accomplish when I'm stuck inside this cabin!"

End Confessional

* * *

Zubin is shown from various camera angles walking around the small Honeymoon Cabin bedroom, flopping down on the bed and groaning.

As he lay there and turned himself over to face the ceiling, his eyes squinted in disbelief before they widened in surprise at what the saw.

As the snake slowly crawled down through the trap door, Zubin stood up.

"You're Pierre's snake." He mumbled to himself as he observed Silivia. "What are you doing here?"

Silivia hissed as she began to slither in a pattern over the dust-covered floor, spelling out a small message.

I KNOW

"Wow…" Zubin said as he picked up the snake gently. "You are _really_ talented to be able to do that. Also…"

He looked back at the message. "It appears there might be some much needed animosity thrown Honua's way soon. It'll help me be able to do some...restructuring of my own game."

He turned to the snake. "What do you think?"

Silivia hissed and Zubin nodded. "Right, I'm talking to a snake. Freaking solitary confinement."

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy_

"So, you _all_ came by to help me clean up the island?" Dominique asked, confused. "What the hell is in it for any of you?"

"It's early enough that we won't waste any time cleaning this time." Kevin responded.

"I don't quite understand what's going on." Galiris admitted to Dominique. "But from what Kevin told me after the last challenge, it's about finding a few twist tikis. I certainly have no use for them, but when the rest of the crew wants to do some treasure hunting, it's my job as captain to support 'em I guess."

"We're cleaning the beach around the island so that Victor will tell us where the Heaven Immunity Tiki is!" Lina called to Galiris as she walked by with a large trash bag. "Think of the Ka Lani ally or allies we might be able to make by handing it off to one of them!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"With Deamian eliminated, and Dominique not _really_ being a part of Ka Malu O, that team is full of nothing but liars and cheats and all-around bad people, so we should focus on befriending a Ka Lani. I personally like Nixia as a choice ally, since those animals seem to _love_ her."

End Confessional

* * *

"Thanks again, for letting me know what happened while I was in Honeymoon, Kevin." Galiris smiled at him as she dropped a large pile of debris in the trash bag he was holding open.

"...Sure…" Kevin gave a small smile.

"And you took Ka Malu O's canoe? That's amazing!" Galiris laughed.

"Finally, someone with some sense!" Lucy called out from where she and Lina were working cleaning up the beach.

"Was it your idea?" Galiris grinned to a nodding Lucy who gave a thumbs up.

"It was just sitting there, and they weren't gonna use it any time soon!"

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Gal stuffed us all in the Honua canoe to get over here, but Lina and Kevin are both pretty shrimpy so it wasn't that cramped for either of them in the passenger seat."

End Confessional

* * *

"Wow." Victor put his hands behind his head as he walked out onto the beach. "It almost looks like a respectable beach now."

"Aight, I cleaned the beach, so now you tell me where the Copycat Tiki is." Dominique turned to Victor.

"I _could_ …" Victor smirked "but the staff shouldn't really interfere with contestants all that much…"

As he spoke, he slowly brought a small parcel out from behind his back and dropped it in the sand.

"You'll have to find it yourself." He gave a small chuckle as he walked away from Dominique and closer to the four Honua who were now busy partying by drinking coconut milk to celebrate their job of cleaning the beach.

"I honestly didn't expect you to follow up on cleaning the beach, but I'm a man of my word." Victor shrugged. "So, you get the whereabouts of a _single_ tiki. No rush I guess, but remember that you, as a team, only get the one. Gotta keep this to a minimum."

Honua huddled together.

"Which tiki should we ask for?" Lina asked. "The Heaven Tiki, right?"

"We should think about this a little more first though." Lucy whispered back. "What if we asked who had the Golden Tiki? Or who had that tiki from before the interview?"

"Should we wait until Zubin gets out of Honeymoon?" Kevin asked.

"Hrm…" Galiris thought to herself. "I'm not sure. There's no telling what might have gone through his head at Honeymoon. I can say from experience that if it weren't for someone else being there, I'd have gone bonkers with paranoia prob'ly. Zubin's prob'ly tougher mentally, but I still worry."

"I can confirm that Honeymoon is scarier than you think." Kevin nodded. "That's why I want to wait."

"Alright, so Kevin wants to wait, and Lina wants to see about the Heaven Immunity Tiki." Galiris did a head count. "Lucy, what are your thoughts on this?"

Lucy thought to herself in silence for a moment before speaking up.

"I wanna know who has the Golden Tiki." Lucy finally answered. "'Cuz if we know who that asshole is, we can blindside the fuck outta them. Most powerful tiki in the game, my ass."

"That's a good point." Galiris admitted.

"It's not like we can't just find the Heaven Immunity Tiki on our own anyways." Lina also admitted.

"Alright Kevin." Galiris turned. "Our plan is to blindside the Golden Tiki holder off the island once we find out who it is. You want to wait for Zubin still, or should we just get the information from Victor now?"

Kevin brought his hand up to his mouth and thought for a very, very long time, until he finally had an answer.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

Dominique is seen giddily showing off the Copycat Tiki to the camera before she begins to read from a crunched up scroll. "Congratulations, you've found the Copycat Tiki! You may play this tiki at any time to copy the effects of a previously played tiki. You may not copy the Legacy, Curse, or Golden Tikis, but all other tikis are fair game." She looks into the confessional's camera as she holds the tiki close to her heart.

"This thing is going to save me!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Katrina, Maddie, Stephanie_

"Come on, come _on_!" Maddie was dragging a reluctant Stephanie by her wrist into the Ka Malu O cabin, past a book-reading Katrina, who immediately got up to leave once she saw Maddie.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"As long as I'm always a good twenty feet from her, I should be able to suppress the ever rising urge to fucking _murder_ her. Fucking waste of two tikis all thanks to that retard's retard way of thinking."

End Confessional

* * *

"And Maddie got jealous." Maddie spoke in third person to Stephanie. "So she got rid of Deamian so she could have Stephanie all to herself!"

Stephanie blushed, but her face adapted a clear look of horror.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I'm both a little honored, and incredibly creeped out that Maddie would go through all this trouble just for me. It's almost like this game might as well not exist for her. I really don't know what to think here. On one hand, I doubt I can ever get her to act the way I'd prefer she act. You know, like a normal person. On the other hand, she's proven that her words aren't empty...and she _is_ pretty cute...but no, No I wouldn't do that…would I?"

End Confessional

* * *

"So now that we're here alone in Maddie's cabin, we can make out!" Maddie jumped onto Stephanie and began to kiss her all over, despite Stephanie's clear attempts at crowd control.

"Ngh, Maddie-.. you need...to wait!"  
"Is Stephanie not ready yet?" Maddie pouted. "What else does Maddie need to do? Throw another challenge? Set someone's hair on fire? Get some chocolate?"

Her eyes widened and her lips began to quiver as she leaned in towards Stephanie.

"What do I need to do?!"

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Anngghhh!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm probably going to regret this later…" She sighed under her breath before leaning back in towards Maddie. "Nothing. You just startled me is all. Give me fair warning."  
"Eeee!" Maddie squealed as she gripped Stephanie in a hug, before locking lips with her.

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"Maddie did it! She beat her competition and got with the sexy Stephanie! Now it's time for the other game! Win Nui Kaua! Set the competition's hair on fire, kyahahahahahahaha!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I...I just couldn't keep up anymore. She broke me down. Still though, if we manage to both make it to the merge, or something like it, we _might_ just be able to unite our teams against Honua. That'd help a lot. And I'll be honest...she's a pretty good kisser. Still though, I wonder where the rest of her team could have been."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Pierre_

"Is that the last of it?" Pierre asked.

"Yeah." Julia nodded as she grabbed the remaining fishing equipment of the Honua cabin. "This will teach those damn Honua to steal our canoe! Come on! Let's go toss these to the bottom of the lake!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"I normally would prefer to do something like this to Ka Lani, if at all possible, but while Zubin, whom I've noticed appearing when I'm trying to enact my plans a tad too often for coincidence, is stuck in Honeymoon, I shall send Silivia to heighten his paranoia, all the while myself and the lovely Julia use the rest of Honua's peculiar absence to pay them back for the decidedly _not_ fantabulous shenanigans they pulled last week."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Honua, you don't go poking the Ka Malu O bear and not expect some forceful retaliation! You got that? Not even Ka Lani was ever dumb enough to start shit with us!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia_

"We have a bit of a problem." Clay realized as he, Cassandra, Evan, and Nixia all sat in the Ka Lani cabin, as their alliance was so used to doing. "We've been losing challenges a lot recently. We need a win. If we lose one more time, we can probably vote out Stephanie, but we still wouldn't be anywhere near the merge...I don't think anyways. I'd rather we just all go as one big team."  
"I can asuede your fear, Clay." Evan said, completely sure of himself as he pulled out the Dove Tiki. "I have this tiki. I play it, all original Ka Lani members are immune at tribal council. That said, I'd like to save it for when it's just our alliance."

"Assuming we merge at 10 players left, that's still three challenges we as an alliance will have to weather." Cassandra realized. "We probably should try to focus on winning this one."

"That might be hard." Nixia sighed. "I saw Chris walking up towards Mt. Immolate earlier. I think this challenge is going to be some kind of question and answer type quiz thing."

"Yeah, I guess our team isn't exactly known for knowledge, at least when it comes to the show." Clay agreed. "I mean, I bet we've all seen it, but…"

"Yeah, not enough to feel safe taking a quiz." Evan shook his head.

*BEEEEEEP*

"Attention final fifteen!" Chris announced with a smile. "Head up to Mt. Immolate's Summit! I hope you're all ready for this next challenge! It's sure to _test_ you! Ahahahahaaa haaa…"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"So it is a quiz challenge. Great. When can it revert back to physical challenges again? Those were Ka Lani's bread and butter!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome, Ka Lani, Ka Malu O, Honua...Zubin." Chris grinned as Chef brought Zubin back from the Honeymoon Cabin.

"We cleaned up Kokoke." Galiris whispered to him. "Kev'll tell you more about it later."

"Okay." Zubin whispered back, still a little uneasy thanks to all his thoughts from solitude in the Honeymoon Cabin.

"Final fifteen…" Chris smiled. "Today's challenge is called 'Trivia Drama Island!"

"Total Drama Trivia? Really?" Katrina asked as she crossed her arms.

"Oh? Is Katrina not impressed?" Chris asked. "Well, if you must know, this challenge isn't _just_ trivia. It's _also_ a sudden death elimination! Er- of a sort!"

"Excuse me?" Julia cocked her head.

"On the team that loses the challenge, the first player of theirs to have lost the challenge will be sent home! No Po'ino Bonfire Ceremony, no Twist Tikis, no leis, nada. Just a Hang Glide of shame. Furthermore, the same positions for both the winning teams will be sent to Honeymoon. Feeling the pressure now, Katrina?"

"Meh." Katrina shrugged. "I still think any mental challenge you might try to concoct will have about the same amount of difficulty as baby's first jigsaw puzzle."

"In _any_ case…" Chris's eyes narrowed at Katrina before he began to explain to the rest of the contestants. "First thing is first, you will all randomly be assigned numbers 1 to 15, and I'll explain to you the rules for each of the three rounds!"

* * *

 _Challenge: Trivia Drama Island_

 _Each player must participate in a 3-round challenge, testing their Total Drama knowledge through trivia questions. The last player standing wins the challenge for their team. The first team to lose all their players loses the challenge, and the first player to lose the challenge from that team is sent to the Hang Glide of Shame, no exceptions. In addition, the first players to lose from both the winning teams will spend the night in Honeymoon._

 _Round 1: Baggage Check: Each of the fifteen contestants will be asked a question on two separate occasions to match a line from one of the previous seasons of Total Drama to the person who said it in the confessional. An incorrect answer to a question gets the player a strike. An incorrect answer to both questions will eliminate the player. The strikes from Round 1 will carry over into Round 2._

 _Round 2: Did You Forget Anything?: The questions in round 2 will largely be based off of missing information. A sort of fill in the blank kind of round. In Round 2, The lowest assigned numbered player is asked a question. Getting it wrong gives them a strike, while getting it right allows them to nominate another player to try and answer the next question. The new player must answer this question right to nominate another one or suffer a strike of their own. Play continues in this manner until 3 players remain, or until one team has been completely wiped off the board._

 _*Possible Round 3: Flight to First:Any strikes from the previous rounds are wiped, and scores are given accordingly to the remaining players (two strikes is 10 points, one strike is 20, and no strikes is 40). All the questions pertain to the first total drama contestant to do something or have something happen to them, or perhaps a total drama season that was the first to introduce something or have something happen in it. The questions are by the buzzer. Getting a question right is worth 10 points. Getting a question wrong allows for another player to steal the question and gives the original player a strike. Incorrectly answering an optional steal will give the stealer 2 strikes. This round will continue until one team has been eliminated completely, or until 40 questions have been asked, at which point, the lowest scoring player loses for their team._

 _Assigned Numbers:_

 _1: Zubin_

 _2: Katrina_

 _3: Dominique_

 _4: Galiris_

 _5: Lucy_

 _6: Nixia_

 _7: Cassandra_

 _8: Julia_

 _9: Pierre_

 _10: Kevin_

 _11: Maddie_

 _12: Lina_

 _13: Clay_

 _14: Stephanie_

 _15: Evan_

* * *

"Alright…" Chris smiled as each contestant took their spot. "Round 1, let's go! Zubin, you're up first. You have a minute to answer, and you can't get help from any teammates. Which Total Drama contestant said the following? 'I can't believe Lightning made it to last season's finale. Does he ver she-shut up?'"

"That would be Gwen." Zubin spoke into his microphone.

"Correct." Chris smiled as he moved onto Katrina. "Katrina, here is your first quote. Who said 'What exactly just happened? Did Artemis insult me or did we have a legitimate moment? I'm confused.'?"

"Donovan." Katrina immediately answered with a sigh.

"Wow, I thought throwing in Zero Sum confessionals would trip you up, but I guess not." Chris realized as he moved on towards Dominique.

"Dominique, please tell us who said the following. 'Getting Gwen on my side is the best way to do it.'"

"Uh, Heather?" Dominique asked to be answered by the sound of an incorrect buzzer. "I'm sorry, the answer was Jo. You were close though." Chris chuckled as he turned to Galiris. "Gal, your phrase to match is: 'If we can just keep Artemis in the hot tub forever, we might be able to cure her-"

"'Ice-cold bitchiness', it was Rudo!" Galiris exclaimed before the quote was finished.

"Correct."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Between my knowledge of the rest of the series, and Gal's of Zero Sum. We might be taking another immunity home for Honua again today. Woo!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Lucy…" Chris smiled as he turned to Lucy, who gave a quick gulp before nodding back at him.

"Chris."

"Who said the following line? 'You rule! Sorry for calling you a waste of skin.''

Lucy thought for a moment.

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Man, your guess is as good as mine! How am I supposed to remember everything I here? I don't even watch the show that much!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Is it...Courtney?"

"No, I'm sorry that's incorrect. It was in fact _Blaineley_." Chris said as Lucy's answer was met with a buzzer. "Moving on, Nixia...who said the following line: 'this year, I'm in it to win it.'?"

Nixia pondered for a moment herself.

"Um...Was it...Noahhhh?"

"No." Chris responded as the buzzer sounded.

"Ahh.." Nixia sighed.

"The correct answer was Justin." Chris announced. "Sophie-"

"Cassandra." Cassandra interrupted Chris.

"Cassandra, your quote to match is…" Chris continued. "'Arrogant? Be fair now, look at me."

"Alejandro!" Cassandra almost immediately answered, her eager grin shattered by the incorrect buzzer.

"I'm sorry, no. The correct answer was in fact _Lightning_." Chris responded.

"Come on, Ka Lani...we can catch up if we try…" Stephanie offered Clay and Evan words of encouragement.

"I sure hope so." Clay replied. "We've been losing one challenge after another lately. We should get back on top."

"Back to the _challenge_ …" Chris shot glares at Stephanie and Clay before turning to Julia. "Julia, your quote to match is 'I think she really respects me!'"

"Lindsay." Julia responded with a smile, mimicking Chris's voice.

"Correct, but never do that again." Chris pointed before turning to face Pierre, who was confidently stroking a pleased Silivia.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Ah, this was a challenge made in heavendice for Ka Malu O. Between myself, Julia, and Katrina, there is no way we can lose this one. Hello again, winners' bench!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Pierre, your quote to match is this: 'Unless they all want to leave in body bags, they better not say my name'."

"How woefully dulloring." Pierre sighed. "It was Eva, of course."

"That is correct."

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"I'm glad this first round isn't based off of points, because if it was, Ka Malu O would be dominating!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Kevin!" Chris smiled as he turned to face Kevin, who instinctively looked away. "Your quote to match is: 'I sincerely doubt that _any_ name is better than Fort Fortitude.'"

Galiris gasped and began to rock back and forth in her spot.

"No helping!" Julia quickly mimicked Heather to point at Galiris.

"I know, I know." She responded.

"It was…" Kevin took a deep breath. "Conlan? The orange hair boy from Zero Sum."

"Conlan is _correct_." Chris nodded as Galiris began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Zubin asked, somewhat concerned.

"Fort _Fortitude_! I totally forgot about that!" She explained.

Katrina rolled her eyes in annoyance before turning to Dominique.

"Don't blow it on your next question." She said. "I want that Maddie retard gone as soon as fucking possible, so make sure, no matter what, that you outlast her."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Maddie is too much of a liability to allow to continue to stay on, however, I suppose finally getting rid of loudmouth Dominique wouldn't be all bad either. Eh, when you have an IQ of 187, you tend to make multiple plans at once."

End Confessional

* * *

"Maddie…" Chris turned to Maddie with a grin as she took a bite out of a chocolate bar. "Your quote to match is… 'Crap, that's a funny idea… Now I wish I didn't vote for him.'"

"I 'unno!" Maddie responded through her candy.

"Guess, you braindead *BEEP*." Katrina snapped, earning stares from everyone.

"I don't want to spend all day atop a volcano." She shrugged.

"Uhm...How about Vance?" Maddie asked.

"There is no Vance, that's incorrect. The correct answer, if that fume coming from Galiris is anything to go by, is Helen." Chris responded as the buzzer sounded, and he turned his attention to Lina.

"Lina, you ready for your quote to match?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Lina sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"With Deamian gone, I'm technically alone on the show right now, which is why I need to fight hard for my team, because there is no way I want to go to elimination!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Your quote is…'Huh, that is weird sentence.'"

"What the hell?" Zubin rose a brow. "That's one of the vaguest things I've ever heard!"  
"It's okay!" Lina called back to him. "I know who said it!" She turned back to Chris and gave a sigh as she crossed her fingers. "It was Sam, right?"

"That is... _correct_." Chris smiled as Lina gave a sigh of relief.

The host turned his attention towards Clay.

"Clay, your quote to match is…'No wonder my little cousins aren't allowed to watch this show!'"

Clay clenched his fist as he leaned into the mic.

"Go with your first instinct." Evan advised him.

"And say it with confidence." Stephanie added.

"Nnnnnoah…" Clay slowly spoke the name out loud.

" _Correct_." Chris smiled. "Ka Lani is still in this."

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Yeah, we're still in this, but for how long? I am _not_ the person to represent our team in a Total Drama quiz show. I haven't exactly had the most time to watch it, what with the stints in juvie and all."

End Confessional

* * *

"Stephanie…" Chris smiled at the cheerleader.

"Wooo!" Maddie cheered, causing Kevin to jump and cover his ears, before giving her a glare.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I don't like her."

End Confessional

* * *

"Stephanie, your quote to match is the following: 'Courtney is kind of scary sometimes.'"

"Remember to go with _instinct_." Evan instructed again.

"Duncan?" Stephanie clearly guessed.

"Good guess." Chris grinned. "Incorrect though." The buzzer sounded as Stephanie slumped. "The correct answer was _Mike_. Evan, your quote to match is the following: 'We're on a losing streak! And really, everyone else on this team is pretty useless.'"

"Heather." Evan responded.

"That is _correct_." Chris grinned.  
The host looked over the contestants. "So, Zubin, Katrina, Galiris, Julia, Pierre, Kevin, Lina, Clay, and Evan are all without strikes so far. Dominique, Lucy, Cassandra, Nixia, Maddie, and Stephanie each have one. One more for any of them, and they're out of the challenge. Now, back to Zubin. You ready for the next quote?"

"Yes." Zubin nodded.

Chris cleared his throat before speaking "'We are are really pretty, aren't we?'" He recited.

"That, if memory serves me correctly…" Zubin leaned into the mic "was Katie."

"That is _correct_." Chris smiled. "Zubin advances with no strikes. Katrina!"

"Let's get this over with." Katrina sighed.

"Your quote is 'If we in this challenge...somehow...I want to get my hands on one of the losing team's sources of food. Breakfast, chicken coop, dinner, our charcoal back, I don't care. Anything would be amazing right now compared to the berries we've been forced to eat.'"

"Hubert." Katrina yawned.

"That is correct." Chris announced again. "Katrina also advances with no strikes. Dominique."

"Yes." Dominique stood upright.

"Your quote is…'Something real, was I ever wrong.'"

"That'd be Trent, Chris." Dominique answered with an assured sigh.

"That'd be correct." Chris revealed. "Dominique, advances with one strike. Galiris."

"Yo!" The sailor girl rose her hand.

"Your quote is 'The good news? Neither of those two is strong enough to do any real damage to the other in a fistfight. The bad news? We-"

"'We're on pirate ships!'" Galiris finished the quote again. "It was Zastin!"  
"That is _correct_." Chris replied, after getting his bearings. "Galiris, also advancing with no strikes. Lucy." Chris turned to face a nervous Lucy. "Your quote is 'It's not that I don't like everyone whose left. It's just that they're all kinda downers.'"

"Oh, that's Geoff for sure!" Lucy smiled, remembering that, at least, from the original season.

"That is correct." Chris nodded. "Lucy, advances with one strike. Nixia, your quote is 'You've got to be kidding me! I should have known getting rid of her wouldn't be that easy! No, I need to calm down...Calm down...How can I work with this?'"

"Oh, that's Oswald!" Nixia correctly identified.

"Nixia, advances with one strike." Chris announced as Nixia beamed. "Can Cassandra do the same?"

"Why gotta be like that, Chris?" Cassandra laughed nervously as Chris read her her quote.

"'I don't know what those girls see in him. They're loco.'"

"It's prolly…Sierra." Cassandra gave her best guess.

"That is…" Chris grinned "... _Correct_. Cassandra advances with one strike. Julia, you're up. The quote is 'She's totally first to go if we lose, like, for serious.'"

"That's so, totally, like, Katelyn, from the Zero Sum one." Julia answered, mimicking Katelyn.

"That is correct." Chris nodded. "Julia advances with no strikes. Pierre, your second quote is 'I'm doing this for Heather? I don't even like her!'"

"Ah, that can be attriven to Beth, can it not?" Pierre answered.

"That is correct." Chris responded. "Pierre also advancing with no strikes. Kevin, your second quote is 'We _lost_ the first challenge! That means someone from _our_ team has to go home tonight. Now I have to decide on which one of them is the most useless to me.'"

"Um…" Kevin thought long and hard.

"Your minute's almost up, Kev." Chris warned.

"Is it…" Kevin leaned into the microphone. "Is is Victor?"

"Ooooh!" Chris snapped his fingers. "You were _so close_ , Kevin. No, that's incorrect. You advance with one strike." He announced as the buzzer played while Kevin plugged his ears. "The correct answer was _Melody_. Speaking of girls on the short side whose names begin with 'M', Maddie, your quote is this: 'I might understand it if he had this face, but he does not have this face.'"

"Oh, I know this one!" She perked up. "Alec!"

"Alec is _incorrect_." Chris's brow furrowed. "The correct answer is _Alejandro_."

"Yeah, him! Austin!" Maddie nodded.

"I'm sorry, but you have to say the correct name, or it doesn't count. Maddie, that's two strikes. You're out of the challenge."

"Well fine then! I just want to go eat my chocolate!" She waved at Stephanie. "Come swing by the cabin later if you can okay, Stephanie?" She asked before she giggled, blew a kiss, and skipped off.

"Lina…" Chris sighed. "Take our minds off that nutcase by answering for this quote: 'I can't believe I ever trusted that sun-fearing, emo-loving liar.'"

"Oh, Ooh! Courtney!" Lina answered.

"Correct." Chris announced again. "Lina advances with no strikes. It appears all of Honua has cleared Round 1!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Go Honua Go! Go Honua Go!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Clay." Chris turned to face his target. "Your quote is 'I can think of a worse scenario than that! I don't want to drown in the lake, especially with those piranhas and that giant octopus!'"

"That's definitely from Zero Sum…" Clay mumbled to himself before leaning into the mic.

"It's probably Kaede, right?"

"You are _correct._ " Chris congratulated him. "Clay advances with no strikes. Can Stephanie advance as well?"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"A cheerleader be good at trivia? Somehow I doubt it."

End Confessional

* * *

"Stephanie…" Chris stated. "Your quote is… 'Rich people food has nothing on this stuff.'"

"Uhm…" Stephanie massaged her temples. "That...that Owen guy, right?"

"Stephanie is incorrect again!" Chris seemed unsurprised despite his exclamation. "She joins Maddie outside the challenge and in the hot-seat!" He regained his composure before turning to Evan. "That leaves us with you Evan. Your quote is…'Did Mike break Sam's Gameguy too? And Sierra's smartphone? But Why?'"

"Zoey." Evan nodded.

"The correct answer _was_ Zoey." Chris stated. "Evan keeps Ka Lani with 4 people going into this the next round!"

* * *

 _Round 2_

 _1: Zubin(0 Strikes)_

 _2: Katrina(0 Strikes)_

 _3: Dominique(1 Strike)_

 _4: Galiris(0 Strikes)_

 _5: Lucy(1 Strike)_

 _6: Nixia(1 Strike)_

 _7: Cassandra(1 Strike)_

 _8: Julia(0 Strikes)_

 _9: Pierre(0 Strikes)_

 _10: Kevin(1 Strike)_

 _11: Maddie(Out)_

 _12: Lina(0 Strikes)_

 _13: Clay(0 Strikes)_

 _14: Stephanie(Out)_

 _15: Evan(0 Strikes)_

"Alright Zubin, as number 1, the first question goes to you. Are you ready?" Chris asked. Zubin nodded.

"I'm ready. Ask away."

"Alright, here goes. In 'Not So Happy Campers, Part 1' A duck was seen in the confessional camera, doing what?"

"Putting on lipstick." Zubin answered correctly.

"That's correct. Please nominate another player for the next question."

Zubin looked over at the other contestants.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Well, I can't exactly pick on Ka Lani just yet if I want that future alliance with Clay to go anywhere, so I need to start with Ka Malu O, but I can't pick Dominique because of obvious reasons, which means I need to choose from their powerhouses, and honestly? The sooner Katrina's not in the challenge anymore, the better."

End Confessional

* * *

"Katrina." Zubin nominated.

"Great." Katrina rolled her eyes as she looked up from her book. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Katrina…" Chris grinned. "Damon Woods showed up late to Zero Sum because he was busy helping this animal."

"A fucking seagull." Katrina sighed as Chris nodded. "I nominate Cassandra."

"Aw, no, why?"

"Cassandra…" Chris announced. "Hot dogs were stuffed inside the parachute of which Pahkitew Island contestant?"

"Dave?" Cassandra asked, only to be answered by the buzzer.

"No, I'm sorry that's incorrect. One more strike Cassandra, and you're out. You ready for your next question?"

"I guess." Cassandra moped.

"In Total Drama World Tour, what did Alejandro use to race down the Great Wall of China?"

"A skateboard!" Cassandra answered with purpose.

"Correct." Chris announced. "Who do you nominate?"

"Pierre!"

"Is it my time to shine already?" Pierre asked with a confident grin. "Prepare yourselves, beauties."

"Pierre…" Chris read from a card. "Eating this food causes Total Drama competitor Owen to sleepwalk."

"What are baked beans?" Pierre answered correctly. "I nominate Clay, of course."

"Clay." Chris announced. "In 'A Sinking Ship', which Zero Sum contestant prematurely rode off on their motorboat?"

"Donovan." Clay answered, to be greeted by the 'correct' jingle. "I nominate Kevin."

"Kevin," Chris announced. "In Total Drama Action, which contestant won the Murder Mystery movie genre's reward challenge?"

"Lindsay." Kevin recited, as if by memory.

"We might be here all day, Chef!" Chris whispered as Chef walked by.

"I nominate Katrina."

"Alright. Katrina again, eh?" Chris asked. "Your question is-"

"Hold on." Katrina sighed, before turning to the remaining four Ka Lani members.

"I see that not one but two Honua continue to nominate me. As a result, I will only be nominating them from now on. At least your team seems to have the sense to leave me the fuck alone. Just thought I'd share that."

She turned back to Chris. "Continue."

"In the Total Drama Episode 'Are we there Yeti?', Chef Hatchet acted as interim host because yours truly was off doing _what_?"

"Hosting an, and I quote 'swanky awards show'." Katrina answered to the sound of a correct jingle. "I would like to nominate _Lucy_."

"Lucy." Chris smiled. "In the Total Drama Episode 'Catch Waves if you Can', what message did Melody write by placing rocks for the Violent Quakes to see?"

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"How the heck am I supposed to remember that?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Was it…'You went the wrong way'?" Lucy asked into the microphone, only be greeted by the buzzer.

"No, I'm sorry, that's incorrect." Chris announced. "One more strike for you, Lucy, and you join Stephanie and Maddie in the hot seat. Are you ready for the next question?"

Lucy nodded.

"In the Total Drama Episode 'The Big Sleep', which contestant's eyelids had been painted over to make it look like they were still awake?"

"Ugh, that was so long ago!" Lucy groaned.

"You can do it, Lucy!" Lina cheered.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"And even if you _can't_ , well, we'll at least still have four people with only one strike between us."

End Confessional

* * *

"It was...Tyler?" Lucy crossed her fingers.

"I'm sorry, that's incorrect." Chris announced as the buzzer sounded on Lucy for the third time. "Lucy, you're out of the challenge."

"Come on Honua! You better freaking win!" Lucy cheered for her team.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Oh, if Katrina is going to nominate only Honua, perhaps I should as well. That Lucy girl is a physical threat, and with her leaving, that team will be forced to rely on that sailor girl for any sort of heavy lifting. Ah, how crippling it would be for them, and wonderous it would be for Ka Malu O!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Dominique, we're at you now." Chris announced. "In the Total Drama Episode 'Running the Mergeathon', which Zero Sum contestant won the _shower_ as a camp luxury?"

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"Fuck."

End Confessional

* * *

"Kaede?" She asked.

"No." Chris responded as a buzzer sounded over Dominique. "I'm sorry that's incorrect. One more strike and you're out. The next question is...In Total Drama Drama Drama Drama Island, which four contestants tied themselves together to prevent anyone in their group from betraying them?"

"Let's see, it was...Tyler, DJ, Owen and Noah."

"You were _so_ close." Chris shook his head as the buzzer sounded. "But that's incorrect, and you're out of the challenge. Chef'll bring you back to Kokoke, and take solace in the fact that if your team loses, it will be Maddie, and not you, heading home."

Upon hearing this, gears in Katrina's head started spinning.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"I guess I take a little solace in that."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I wonder if I could instead purposefully throw this challenge as well? I can't go home, and if we _do_ lose, we only get rid of by far and away the most useless retard on this fucking hellhole of a team. I wait a little while and see."

End Confessional

* * *

"Galiris." Chris turned to face the next-lowest numbered contestant. "In Total Drama Episode 'Riot on Set', _who_ was eliminated from the Killer Grips?"

"Izzy." Galiris responded almost immediately, only to be surprised by the sound of a buzzer.

"I'm sorry, that's incorrect." Chris grinned. "It wasn't _Izzy_ that was eliminated, it was E-Scope."

"That's cheap." Zubin folded his arms.

"It's true." Chris shrugged. "In any case, Gal now has a strike. Ready for your next question?"

Galiris nodded.

"Which female contestant has appeared in the most episodes of Total Drama?"

"Gwen." Gal answered, only to be met with the buzzer again.

"Close, but no." Chris replied. "You're at two strikes now, one more and you're out. You ready for your next question?"

"Bring it!" Galiris shouted as she found a second wind.

"That's it, Gal! Don't let'em break you!" Lucy cheered.

"Alright then...during world tour, when Owen comes out of the make-up chamber in Area 51, what song does he sing?"

"Running Man?" Galiris guessed.

"No, that is incorrect." Chris remarked. "That was his dance. The _song_ he sang was 'Take me out to the Ballgame'. In any case, that's your third and final strike Gal, you're out."

Galiris turned to Zubin, Kevin, and Lina.

"You guys can do it! Run the other teams into the dirt!"

"And we're at Nixia." Chris grinned. "You ready?"

Nixia gulped.

"Which Total Drama Island Contestant appeared as one of three guest judges in the episode 'Nui Kaua's Got Talent'?"

"Eva." Nixia answered correctly. "I nominate Kevin."

"Kevin...Katie and Sadie were originally on separate teams. Which TDI contestant switched places so that they could both be on the Killer Bass?"

"Bridgette?" Kevin wondered, only to be answered by the buzzer.

"I'm sorry, that's incorrect." Chris announced. "That's a second strike for Kevin. You're on your last leg, buddy. Let's hope you can answer this next one."

"Go ahead and ask." Kevin nodded.

"In Total Drama Action, what was the name of Courtney's superhero costume?"

"The Screaming Cricket." Kevin answered, only be met with the sound of the buzzer yet again.

"I'm sorry, no. It was The _Human_ Cricket. Unfortunately, that means you're out too, buddy."

Chris looked at his chart.

"And play has headed to...Cassandra!" He smiled.

Cassandra shuddered.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Look, I know Ka Lani's in the lead and all, but Honua was in the lead like fifteen minutes ago! I don't want to be out!"

End Confessional

* * *

"What is Sierra's laptop?" Chris asked.

"A...um…" Cassandra thought as hard as she could.

"Clock's a ticking!"

"I know...I'll think of something!"

"5….4…."

"Hrm…"

"3….2...1..."

…

The buzzer sounded before Cassandra could answer, and she dejectedly left her station.

"And that's 3 from Ka Lani and Ka Malu O remaining to the Honua pair of Lina and Zubin!" Chris announced. "It's only going to get more hectic from here!"

"Cheetos." Julia answered her next question to the sound of a correct buzzer. "I nominate Zubin."

"Kissing Cody's ear." Zubin also answered correctly to his question. "I nominate Katrina."

"Duncan." Katrina sighed as a correct buzzer sounded for her. "I nominate Lina."

"Heather?" Lina asked, only to be met with an incorrect buzzer.

"Melody?" Another incorrect guess.

"Sunset Sally?" This one was correct. "I nominate...Pierre."

"Fang." Pierre announced as he pet Silivia and the correct tune played. "I shall nominate Zubin."

"187." Zubin spoke into the microphone, only to be surprised by the buzzer.

"I'm sorry, but the IQ Izzy professes to have is 182." Chris announced. " _Katrina_ is the one who professes an IQ of 187."

"Because I actually have it." Katrina rolled her eyes.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Damn...this is bad. It's me and Lina up here by ourselves, and now she's one strike away from being out, and I'm at a disadvantage even if I can last to the final round... Furthermore, my alliance is NOT in a position where losing Lucy would be at all helpful to me in any way. I'd much rather she stay around."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"This challenge is really nerve-wracking, but at least if _we_ lose, we lose the person we were probably going to vote off anyways."

End Confessional

* * *

"According to Dawn, how many siblings does Zoey have?" Chris asked Zubin, who answered 2.

That was incorrect.

"Alright Zubin, final question…"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"No, Zubin! Don't leave me here alone with only one life left! Shake off the Honeymoon Cabin fumes! Stay up here with me!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Who is the only _non-living_ character in Total Drama?"

"Excuse me?" Zubin asked after he did a double-take.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"As far as I can recall, _every_ character has been alive on Total Drama!"

End Confessional

* * *

"This has to be a trick question. The is no 'non-living' Total Drama character."

"I'm sorry." Chris shook his head as the buzzer sounded. "That's _incorrect_. The correct answer was _Mr. Coconut._ That's your third strike. Time to leave."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

Zubin's eyes have bags under them from his time spent alone in Honeymoon, and his right eye continuously twitches. "Mister….Coconut...he...ha haha….and now we're one strike away from everything I've built crumbling down on top of me…no, no it's fine. I just...I'm just in a nightmare! Yeah...I'll go back to my Honua cabin and sleep, and then I'll wake up refreshed and nothing terrible will have happened."

End Confessional

* * *

"Pierre." Chris grinned. "Play is with you now. Your question is the following: In Total Drama Zero Sum? What did Hubert remark about the four different teams?"

"That there had never been that many before, Chris." Pierre answered correctly, and Lina felt Silivia brush past her legs as Pierre smiled, turning his head toward the last Honua left.

"I would like to nominate...Lina, of course."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Ka Lani has proven to be rather non-threatening recently, so it is time to hit Honua while they are at the height of their celebratude!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Lina...in Total Drama World Tour, a 'cursed' DJ almost kills a panda. What was the panda's name?"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Well _that_ definitely won us this challenge." Julia mimicked Zoey.

End Confessional

* * *

"Was it...um...Ming Ming?" Lina asked. "Something like that, right?"

"Yeah, something like that." Chris nodded, causing Lina to smile for a brief moment before her hopes were crushed by the buzzer. "Unfortunately, that's incorrect. The panda's name was T'sing T'sing."

"And with that…" Chris said as he looked around. "We can end this challenge. Chef can drive Maddie and Stephanie to the Honeymoon Cabin, and I'll be seeing Lucy and any Honua who wish to join her at the Bonfire over yonder in a few hours."

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"We managed to survive this challenge, which is good. But like we were discussing earlier in our cabin...We need to last for at least two more in order for our alliance to stay strong until the merge."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I _would_ prefer to get rid of Maddie, but sticking her in Honeymoon until the next challenge is fine for now. What I'm _more_ pleased about is that we've managed to force Honua to give up Lucy. Something which would have been much harder to make happen at any other point in this game. Do you see why I don't participate that often, now? This whole show is just so laughably easy. Nothing but a bore really."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lucy: Honua

"Welp. Fuck. At least no one on my team wanted me gone, so I guess that's good to know."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Lucy, Zubin_

Zubin had been woken up from the small nap he had started and brought to the bonfire at his own request.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I...never expected it to go like this, but I do plan to see all my friends and alliance-mates off if I can help it, and with the way Ka Malu O just gunned straight for us and got rid of one of our fiercest and strongest players...It's safe to say that Honua has found an enemy to rally against. However, that doesn't mean I can relax just yet. There's still a ton of work that needs to be done to account for this unfortunate setback."

End Confessional

* * *

"Lucy, I'll let you say goodbye to your teammates." Chris stated as he stood by the Hang Glide of Shame. "Just know that we're on a schedule so you'll need to address them as a group, and keep it short."

"I guess this is goodbye for now the, huh guys?" Lucy shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm suuuuuper TO'd at what happened today. We started at the top of our game, and here we are back on the very bottom. With only four members left against the other teams' five each. But you know what? You four are some of the smartest peeps I've ever hung with, so if anyone can get us outta this bind, it's you lot. I only have one 'dying' request I guess...Hit Katrina where it _hurts_. As hard as you can if you can help it."

"Lucy…" Chris tapped his watch.

Lucy sighed. "I guess I'll see ya guys." She said as she forcefully stomped on each of Chris's feet on her way to the Hang Glide of Shame.

"Ow! _Ow_!"

"Let me be voted off for real next time, McLean." She said as she caught a gust of wind and jumped off of the volcano.

"Hey…" Kevin tugged on Zubin's shirt, causing him to turn around.

"Yeah?" Zubin asked.

"We talked to Victor earlier. Pierre has the Golden Tiki. Now what?"

At first, Zubin was shocked, shocked that Kevin had seemed to go through with a plan without consulting him, but as he pondered more information, an idea clicked in Zubin's mind, and his worry became a small hope.

"Have Gal and Lina meet us in our room of the Honua Cabin." Zubin responded. "This information might just be our saving grace."

"And that's a wrap on this episode!" Chris announced as he looked into the camera while the now half-sized Honua walked away. "Lucy, the biker chick, has unexpectedly wiped out! We're down to 14 contestants and things are bound to get only more competitive from here on out! Has Maddie truly won over Stephanie? What is Zubin's plan? And will Katrina _ever_ receive her comeuppance? Find out...probably not too many of those...next time!

On Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Lucy's Final Confessional:

"Well, this bites like hell. I never even had a single vote cast against me! Now I'm just off the show 'cuz I'm worse than no-life super fans with some obscure as all heck trivia? Yeah, I'm so angry that I've reverted right back to being calm again. I'll bet the next gust of wind Nui Kaua gets is going to be my scream from Playa de Losers once I find a way to get the intense _rage_ I feel outta my system. I wish Honua the best 'course, and I hope every one of those Ka Malu O snakes gets their just desserts. Peace."

End Confessional*


	17. Ep 9: Po'ino Prophets

**_AN: Only a couple months late ahahahaha. I'm back now though so yay!_**

* * *

 _Chris's Recap:_

"Last time on Total Drama Nui Kaua,

We celebrated finally being down to fifteen campers by shutting most of them up with a quiz show about former Total Drama contestants, where Ka Malu O, or more specifically Katrina, dominated with her extensive knowledge of past seasons and competitors. Meanwhile, a honeymoon cabin-bound Zubin began to lose hold over his Honua alliance when Kevin, Galiris, and Lucy all began to make plays in his absence, Dominique managed to get her hands on The Copycat Twist Tiki, and Maddie finally managed to wear Stephanie down mentally. During the challenge, Katrina got _pissed_ at Maddie and contemplated throwing the entire schbang, but with Ka Lani safely answering questions, and sensing a weakness otherwise unexploitable in Honua, the Ka Malu O strategy shifted, and the hell team sent Lucy of Honua home for her poor challenge performance, much to the dismay of the remaining Honua members. As he said his farewell to one of his closest allies, Zubin was informed of Pierre's possession of the Golden Tiki, and immediately called a meeting back at the team cabin. We're down to 14 contestants now, and someone's just one unlucky number away from a Po'ino Elimination! Find out who right here on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

"I've got a copycat tiki! I got me a copycat tiki!" Dominique danced around the clean beach of Kokoke happily with an open coconut in one hand and her copycat tiki in the other.

"I think I know exactly how to use this thang too!"

"Would you keep it down?" Victor groaned as he exited the forest. "You're supposed to be cursed and miserable here on this island, not happy and frollicking like some primitive tribeswoman."

"Oh, hell no, you can't break me today, ginger man!" Dominique laughed triumphantly at Victor's expense. "I'm ridin high on the south pacific winds of destiny!"

"You just might be high." Victor nodded with crossed arms before retreating back into the forest.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Ka Malu O

"So here's the deal right, I got this copycat tiki, and as long as any other tiki been played, I can copy its effects. Right, so my master plan is this-depending on how thangs lookin' after this next challenge, i'll use a different strategy. "If Ka Malu manages to win again, that's fine and dandy, and hopefully I'll be sent to honeymoon by the other winnin' team, but if we lose, dependin' on who comes in first, my tiki'll be different. Oooh, I'm just so excited that I've got this! Two tikis yall! One might be a hindrance but still!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Lani Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia_

"Alright, so I think we all know that if we lose, we vote of Stephanie, right?" Nixia suggested to make sure everyone was on the same page.

"I think we all agree on sticking together for as long as we can." Clay nodded in response as he looked around the cabin for Silivia to come through any of her usual entrances.

"Careful Clay, the Lookout Loner is at it again is he?" Cassandra joked as she nudged Clay in the shoulder. "Relax, eight eyes will be able to catch sight of a single snake, and she clearly isn't here right now."

"I guess." Clay grumbled, not entirely convinced.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"When you have the Legacy Tiki in your guitar case, you can lecture me about paranoia all you want, but I know the second I truly let my guard down, that damn snake is going to come and steal that tiki from me."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Wooo! Fourteen left! I'm not a single-digiter! That's someone who is part of the first ten people eliminated from the competition. Things are looking great for me right now too! In a majority alliance, I have a tiki granting us all immunity, and now I even have a cute girlfriend to share the experience with! Woo! Apex predator Haskins is going all the way to the top, guys!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"So...last challenge didn't go quite as well as we'd hoped, but this time we ought to perform well! Ka Lani deserves a full-fledged win for once! We haven't gotten a true win under our belts since episode 1! Episode 1 guys! I can feel it though, it's our time to shine this week!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

Nixia looks around the confessional, trying to remember why she entered in the first place. Eventually she does figure it out. "So, since Honua is now down to four, and their only athlete left is Galiris, I think it's time we on Ka Lani put all our effort into getting rid of a Ka Malu O. It doesn't matter which one to me, but I know Katrina and Pierre are both relatively hated amongst the other members of our team. Maybe we can entice Dominique and Julia to vote them off. I'd include Maddie too but-" Nixia gasps with a realization. "Maddie!" She exclaims before rushing out of the stall.

End Confessional

* * *

"Maddie!" Nixia opens the Ka Lani cabin door loudly, prompting her alliancemates to all look at her confused.

Clay smacked a slithering Silivia away from his guitar case, almost at ease knowing that the snake truly had been targeting him.

"That bat-shit insane girl on Hell team?" Evan asked. "What about her?"

"We can _use_ her!" Nixia exclaimed. "We know a weakness of hers!"

"Chocolate?" Cassandra joked.

"Stephanie." Clay realized.

"Hey that's right...if Ka Malu O loses the next challenge…" Evan realized.

"Maddie will probably vote for whoever Stephanie wants her to!" Cassandra finished their collective thought. "But...we haven't exactly been the most accommodating to Stephanie, do you think she'd do a favor for us like that."

"If she doesn't she's a traitor to the team and can be voted off anyways." Evan shrugged.

"That's...cold blooded." Cassandra was taken aback by the lack of mercy Evan seemed to have for the outsider.

"A team is only as good as its weakest member." He responded. "In wolf packs, the sickly set the pace for the group. I'd rather have no sickly wolves in our pack."

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Damn...I thought _I_ had a bleak outlook on society."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

"While I would preferred to have been there for the decision making, I understand that reason dictated a faster acquisition of knowledge, and the bearer of The Golden Tiki is pertinent indeed." Zubin paced back and forth across his and Kevin's room while Galiris, Kevin, and Lina all sat in chairs. "But, I think I might have a plan of my own now thanks to the information you recovered, Kevin, Gal, Lina."

"Let's hear it, Z-man!" Galiris encouraged as she lounged back in her chair.

"The members of Ka Malu O are deceitful, distrusting snakes, even Dominique is not above it if the opportunity means her continued survival in the game, and that's the angle we've been playing in getting her allegiance for a while now, marketing ourselves as a better team than her current one, so if someone like Katrina or Julia found out about Pierre's tiki…"

"They'd want it for themselves!" Kevin stood up, arriving at the conclusion Zubin had also reached.

"That's right Kevin." Zubin nodded at his friend. "The only thing I still need to work out is how to convince either of those ladies that our information is true…"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"It was foolish of Pierre to send his snake to me directly with his little 'I know' message. If I know that he knows, then it's time to oust him. Golden Tiki or not. I'll flush it with him somehow. I know it can be done too. Kaede nearly flushed Oswald's tiki a few weeks prior to the merge, only failing by a single vote that really could have gone either way. All I need is for contestants other than myself to set this in motion. Pierre knows I'm onto him after all. No sense in painting so obvious a picture."

End Confessional

* * *

"I've got an idea…" Lina quietly suggested. "We can talk to Ka Lani and tell them about it. They already hate Ka Malu O, and it might take heat off of us during challenges for a while."

"I love that idea!" Galiris stood up, enthusiastically. "Let's go with that one!"

"I have an idea too…" Kevin mumbled.

"What's your idea, Kev?" Zubin asked.

"Act like a Ka Lani has the golden tiki instead." Kevin suggested. "Pierre will either admit he owns it out of jealousy, or the other Ka Malu O will think he doesn't have any sort of threatening tiki and can blindside him without letting him onto the reason why."

"Ooh! That's great!" Galiris turned to Kevin. "I love that idea, I'll go talk to Ka Lani right now! This is gonna be so great!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"You throw my boats in the lake, Ka Malu O." Galiris's brow is furrowed and her frown is deep. "I hope you've said your prayers to the island gods because you don't mess with a captain's ship and get away without sufferin' her wrath!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, that takes care of that I guess." Lina said as she stood up as well and left the room after Galiris, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Imma be honest...little awkward still being around here. I thought I'd be gone not long after Deamian left, but I suppose I did sign up for this show for my own reasons...so I'm sure I have something to bring to the table. I guess I'm pretty good at flying under the radar, and that's the strategy used by most winners of these types of shows, so I think I might have a solid chance! Here's hoping!"

End Confessional

* * *

"So Kevin, looks like it's you and me to the final two now that Lucy isn't here, right buddy?" Zubin asked when he was sure the two of them were alone in their room.

"Yeah…" Kevin looked away, not in the mood for that kind of conversation, or likely any conversation.

"I just want to make this clear, Kev, that we're a duo and if we have to, we will vote of Galiris."  
"I don't want to…" Kevin muttered.

"I don't want to either buddy, but sometimes sacrifices need to be made, and if we're put in a position like that we need to stick together in our decisions."

"I won't vote off any more teammates." Kevin rashly decided as he stood up and began to leave.

"Kevin, just promise me that it's us to the final two, that's all I want you to do." Zubin made sure to keep his voice as calm as possible. He wasn't about to let Kevin catch onto how truly terrifying the idea of no longer having any control over his alliance was beginning to feel to him.

"Yeah." Kevin sighed, clearly not paying much attention as he left Zubin alone in the cabin.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Zubin is getting stressed. He spent too much time in honeymoon and is scaring me. I'd rather spend time with Lina or Gal." Kevin blushed. "Gal's pretty."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Maddie, Stephanie_

"I hope this isn't going to be a common occurrence." Stephanie dreaded to herself as she noticed a sleeping Maddie clinging to her arm.

"It's less like a summer fling and more like i've adopted an incredibly needy child. But she's legit the only ally I've got left in this game, so I'll see what I can do with her."

* * *

Confessional: Maddie: Ka Malu O

"Now that Maddie has Stephanie all to herself, I can win her over to the Hell Team side and everyone will be so so happy! She's super fashionable so she can replace Pierre since at the end of the day…" Maddie's eyes narrowed into a menacing glare "He's still just an icky boy…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I'm definitely prepared to give Ka Lani all I've got for our next challenge, because no way am I letting myself be voted off that easily, but even if we somehow can't quite win, I still have Maddie, my cute little double-agent, to sabotage Ka Malu O for me!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina, Pierre_

"Ah, Silivia, you've returned, did you manage to find it?" Pierre asked his snake as she slithered in through the window and shook her head with a hiss. "Ah, a shame, but did you learn anything valuable?"

Silivia began to draw a picture for Pierre in the dust on the cabin floor while Julia and Katrina exchanged their routine midday arguments with each other.

"I'm just saying that you ought to continuously be putting effort in, not just in challenges where you don't have to try anyways!" Julia had elected to argue about work ethics this time. "They're called challenges for a reason, Katrina!"

"They're idiotic, and if my strengths don't play to our advantage in any way, or my weaknesses are a hindrance, then I see no reason to extend unnecessary effort. You may not understand, being of mediocre intelligence, but I have a-"

"An IQ of 187, yeah, you never shut up about it." Julia mimicked Courtney's voice. "I have a hard time believing it though, because if you were as smart as you say you are, you'd realize that we're all geared up and ready to vote you out the next time we lose."

"You won't vote me out." Katrina sighed as she got up and left the cabin.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"They won't vote me out. Not while we still have Maddie the wildcard to get rid of, and Dominique the cursed isn't exactly the most loyal to the team. I feel like these retards aren't as grateful to me as they ought to be. It would take no effort on my part of throw each of their sorry butts under the bus and use their heads as stepping stones to the finale, but since I was stuck with them, I'll keep them around for the long-haul. See? I'm not entirely without mercy."

End Confessional

* * *

"So what's the snake saying?" Julia joked as she sprung herself out on a bed in the room Pierre was still in, thinking to himself.

"My dear Silivia has told me that our precious Maddie may be targeted by the Heaven team soon. I think if it comes down to it, we may put that ventriloquy talill of yours to the test, my companion."

"She _is_ a bit of a wildcard...I've been worried about her since our last bonfire ceremony. Deamian might have been a bit of a creep, but he wasn't vote-out material just yet then. In fact, he seemed to be getting better."

"Concurred." Pierre agreed. "The only thing keeping me from voting maddie off right away is Stephanie's loneliness. She's on the outs in Ka Lani and may be an easy convert to our team if we leave Maddie alone for another week or two."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Yes, yes! I can feel the schemes being made on all fronts! Truly this game is about to become the glamorous extravaganza it was always meant to be! I shall rise to the top of stardom and bask in my fame and riches!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Once again, I'm clearly the decision maker on this team. It all comes down to who I want gone if we have to eliminate someone, and right now...I'm just not feeling anything good for me coming out of Maddie's continued presence on this island. Ideally, I'd get rid of the girl controlling her, but I don't know how I could possibly make Ka Lani lose a challenge short of cheating, and I don't trust myself to not get caught. Self-sabotage might work though…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Fields_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Wow, you're all on time for the challenge for once!" Chris grinned as Chef brought up Stephanie and Maddie, the latter of whom had to be forcefully pried from her Honeymoon Cabinmate's arm. "I'll get straight to the introductions for our special guest this week! The Neutral Narrator, The King of Quests, The Patron Player of Strategy, Zero Sum 2nd Runner-up Zastin Grove is here to present today's challenge!"

Chris motioned as a rather robust young man walked forwards, twirling all manner of dice between his fingers, before collecting each of them in his right palm.

"Thanks Chris, it's nice to be back on the island. Hello campers. Elements treating you okay?"

"They all in cabins." Chef whispered to Zastin, whose eyes grew wide.

" _They_ get cabins?" He asked Chris in disbelief as he gestured to the remaining contestants. "They're all in way better shape than half of our season's cast! Why do they-?" Zastin stopped himself. "Nevermind, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to present a challenge. How many of you roleplay?...I see...zero. Perfect. Your challenge this week...is to survive through a campaign of my creation."

"Excuse me? What's this dweeb shit?" Katrina rose a hand.

"Four members of each team will participate in three separate campaign runs." Zastin announced. "The run ends when either the story naturally resolves itself, or the players all die. The group that manages to last the longest _while remaining in character_ will be the lucky winners, while the group with the least convincing roleplay will send someone home at Po'ino."

"I still don't get it." Lina rubbed the back of her head.

Zastin pinched the bridge of his nose. "At its core, this challenge is an improv game, hosted and judged by me. Do you understand now?"

"Ohhh!" Lina nodded. "I think so, yeah."

"In that case, let me assign the teams. Honua, you're already a group of four so we'll go with that...and now, from Ka Malu O, give me Dominique...Maddie...Pierre...and-"

"I volunteer." Katrina rose her hand to Julia' surprise. "How's this for extending effort, *BEEP*?"

"I guess she's our fourth for Ka Malu O then." Zastin nodded as Katrina joined the others, leaving a shocked Julia on the bench.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"I'm the _BEST_ choice for this kind of challenge! I can mimic literally anyone and anything perfectly! Why can't I participate instead of Dominique or Katrina? They're both way too stubborn to accurately roleplay anything!"

End Confessional

* * *

"And for Ka Lani…" Zastin looked over the remaining team. "Give me...Cassandra...Stephanie...Evan...and Clay."

"Good luck, Ka Lani!" Nixia cheered as she headed towards the bench with Julia, and her eyes widened, realizing opportunity.

"Hey Julia, guess what happened to me the other day when I was out in the woods?"

"What?" Julia rolled her eyes.

"I found the Golden Tiki after looking for it! It was right where my clue said it would be too! Yeah it turns out I get to play it after i've been voted out as a free immunity, sending the one with the next votes home."

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Yeah, I'm lying out my keister, but Julia doesn't know any of that. She wasn't captured by Oswald so she doesn't have any knowledge about the Golden Tiki's whereabouts. I just hope this plan Honua came up with works."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Yeah, sorry but I'm a fan of the show. The talk of the Golden Tiki arrived during Oswald's challenge, and his MO isn't something as boring and predictable as a get out of elimination freebie. Whatever the tiki does, it isn't that, or perhaps it isn't _just_ that…But it _is_ nice to know that Ka Lani has it. That means I don't have to worry about Dominique or Pierre surprising me in the near future, and you never know how this game could change, you know?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Challenge: Three Campaigns_

 _Names: Class, Background_

 _Ka Lani Team:_

 _Cassandra: Barbarian, Urchin_

 _Clay: Druid, Acolyte_

 _Evan: Ranger, Hermit_

 _Stephanie: Cleric, Criminal_

 _Ka Malu O Team:_

 _Dominique: Sorcerer, Sailor_

 _Katrina: Monk, Noble_

 _Maddie: Fighter, Outlander_

 _Pierre: Warlock, Soldier_

 _Honua Team:_

 _Galiris: Wizard, Charlatan_

 _Kevin: Rogue, Entertainer_

 _Lina: Paladin, Guild Artisan_

 _Zubin: Bard, Sage_

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River_

 _Ka Lani Team's Campaign_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Stephanie_

"Ka Lani adventuring squad, you're up first" Zastin addressed the participating contestants. "You're a group of four friends, sent on a simple delivery mission to return a package to the leader of Evan's hermitage community. The only problem...is that it's on Kokoke Island, and none of you have the money for a boat."  
"Nature will provide the answer for us!" Clay exclaimed as he immediately turned his head towards a tree.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"So, I was told to be a devout druid, you know, like a wild person who worships old nature gods and stuff. I'll be honest, it feels a little weird, but that's only because I've spent so much time with Evan and Nixia that I may as well be pretending to be them instead of some fake character."

End Confessional

* * *

"Oh river goddess, send us your burbling message!"

Cassandra did her best to hold in a laugh.

"You believe in gods?"

"Even I believe in the gods" Stephanie interjected. "Death, vengeance, obviously they have gods otherwise who is this holy amulet that I've been wearing for?" She held up an invisible amulet.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"I really don't get this challenge. Like...how am I supposed to be some kind of priestess but also be a criminal?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, fellow man of faith?" Evan asked as he tapped clay on the shoulder. "What message has the river goddess given us?"

"We must….find a fallen tree in the Nahele Forest and from it construct our seafaring vessel."

"So you've got a plan, great!" Zastin grinned. "There's just one problem…You're noise has attracted bandits."

"Run!" Stephanie announced as she bolted from the area, without checking to see if her colleagues were following.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"On the little thing that Zastin gave me, it said I had to run when things looked bad, and bandits are bad...right?"

End Confessional

* * *

Stephanie rested by a large rock near the riverbed for a few moments, and began thinking to herself about what on earth she'd be able to do if her team, or perhaps more accurately _when_ her team lost their next challenge and was sent to Po'ino again.

As she was deep in thought, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"We've got a problem…" Evan lamented as Zubin followed up behind him "Cassandra and Clay were both killed by the bandits…"

"Well that's just great" Stephanie sighed as she stood up and looked at Zubin.

"Hey, you play the bandits in this game right? Are you still one now?"

"Indeed I do and indeed I am."

"I guess I'll use some holy magic to smite this asshole for killing my friends then."

"Thanks, I didn't notice him following me." Evan continued to act as Zastin pretended to die. "Come on, we ought to find a tree trunk soon for a canoe."

"We don't need to use a forest's tree for a canoe now that the druid is dead" Stephanie reasoned. "What's to stop us from going into _town_ and _renting_ a canoe?" She pointed towards the beach and the Ka Lani cabin.

"Hm...that might just work." Evan nodded.

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

"Ka Malu O…" Zastin smiled as he arrived at the lone group still waiting at the summit of Mt. Immolate. "You're a band of hired assassins. Your job is to hunt down and kill the other members completing the challenge before they complete their objectives. You know right now, that Ka Lani is headed towards Kokoke Island, and that Honua will be spending all their time in Nahele Forest, but will eventually make their way up to the summit of this mountain."

"Well" Katrina looked over the information about her character she was given. "As no doubt the one in charge of this mission, I'll send the clown and the fop to go get rid of Ka Lani, meanwhile, Dominique and I will deal with Honua."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I'm a monk on this sheet, but I'm _also_ royalty, and while I have to tone done my attitude a small amount for this challenge, the character I've been given to play isn't terribly far off from my standard behavior. All that needs to happen now is for none of the others to fuck this up for us. I sent our problem children towards Ka Lani since that team hasn't been a threat since the first challenge. We need the _capable_ performers to deal with Honua after all. Furthermore…"

End Confessional

* * *

"We'll be back before you can say 'eldritchcellent', my friends!" Pierre exclaimed as he looked at Silivia and Maddie. "Come familiar, come tribeswoman! Today we kill our sworn enemies for the glory of Ka Malu O, the Bat Lord of Hell!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Hopefully with me there to add the pizazz, Maddie's complete lack of role-playing sense will go unnoticed. I'm a tad worried about Dominique as well, but what truly matters is finding a way to get my hands on that tiki of Clay's. The second I let up my fantabulous offensive is the second my gorgeous golden tiki is discovered!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Yeah, yeah, let's burn them to bits!" Maddie exclaimed as she followed Pierre and Silivia down the mountain.  
Katrina turned to Dominique.

"If we lose this challenge…" She whispered while Dominique gathered rocks from the ground "I was thinking we vote that batshit insane pyromaniac off this fucking island. Sound good?"

"I don't believe a word you're telling me" Dominique shrugged "'sides I don't intend to ally myself with the likes of you, skinny brainiac bitch."  
"Of course this one's too proud and dumb to realize how much of a liability that ball of mania is" Katrina muttered under her breath.

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Trail_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

"Quickly, friends, we must bring this artifact to the summit for the wise sage!" Zubin announced as he clapped to his teammates walking up the trail, carrying a sofa from their cabin. "Oh, master will be so happy when this minstrel returns to him with the fabled Sofa of Laziness!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Thankfully Gal, Lina, and I can all act our parts out fine, but I'm most worried about Kevin. His character is supposed to always want to be the center of attention but…"

End Confessional

* * *

"What's with that face, rogue?" Galiris winked at Kevin, noticing how nervous he was looking as well as the struggling look on his face. "Perhaps you should be sitting on this sofa instead of carrying it, eh?"  
"I can...do it…" Kevin struggled to respond.

"Kevin, I think Gal and I can handle it…" Lina suggested. "It's against the Honua faith to force any pain upon a friend or ally. Feel free to let go of the sofa."

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Kevin is _not_ doing very well this challenge. I'd be more worried about it, but after looking at the looks on Ka Lani's faces, and with someone like Maddie on Ka Malu O, I think we can still come out on top."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"This challenge is hard...I don't understand it that well…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Yoohoo, melodic bard, over here!" Galiris twiddled her fingers as she waved Zubin over "I think our sneaky thief friend needs a bit of a pick me up, why don't you lift his spirits with a tune?"

"Of course, let me just think of something to sing for a moment. Ah!" Zubin turned to Lina. "Would her holiness care to join me in a duet?"

"Oh, uhm~..." Lina snuck a look at her character's sheet. "Why yes, I'd love to join in!"

"As would I!" Galiris announced after peeking at her own sheet.

"Kevin, do you wish to sing with us as well?" Zubin asked as he quietly pointed to Kevin's character sheet.

Kevin's eyes widened.

"Oh! Y-yes, I think so."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"It's a simple way to win this challenge, put us all together and have us sing to the bard's merry song. Now it's just a matter of what to sing while we bring this heavy couch to the top of Mt. Immolate!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Into pieces

like a puzzle,

my heart it broke." Zubin sang as he danced around Galiris, Kevin, and Lina.

"Happened out of nowhere on my tiring walk home."

"Caught me by surprise,

turned at the wrong time," Galiris sang along.

"Onto a road I didn't know."

"Half the time in life you'll bump into a brick wall," Zubin sang again,

"obstacles you'll surely face both massive and small,"

"But the other half" Lina took over.

"Of your life you'll have,

all the time you need to solve them allll…."

"Break those waaalllsss…" Kevin sang,

"Oh we know deep down, Life's wonderful" Zubin sang once again.

"So go ahead be proud,

And always be grateful"

"Take each case as it comes" Kevin sang.

"You'll get through one by one" Lina sang.

"Without any hesitation!" Galiris sang.

"Treasure your future," They all sang together.

"Like the eighth wonder!

Believe in yourself,

And your dreams will come true.

You and I,

Me and you,

Let's call out to tomorrow and start anew!"

Galiris, Lina, and Zubin all erupted into laughter, and while Kevin didn't quite laugh, his face did grow a sheepish smile.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"I think that went well, all things considered. I was worried we'd be tone deaf or something, but I guess when you get into the roleplay you sort of lose that kind of inhibition. Man, let's hope that helped us secure at least not last place. We can't afford to lose any more people. I just hope Ka Lani is doing a good job of getting Ka Malu O to get ready to blindside Pierre."

End Confessional

* * *

"I can see the summit!" Lina announced from the front of the sofa. "We're almost there!"

"Not so fast!" Dominique called out from the summit of Mt. Immolate. "I cast fire bolt!"

Without any more warning, she hurled one of the rocks she'd picked up at the four Honua members.

"Magic fire! Duck and cover!" Zubin announced as he rushed to counter the projectile pebble. "Dispel Mag- oof!" The rock hit him the chest and he fell to the ground.

"Agh...I think...this is the end...for me...my friends…"

"Two can play the magic game!" Galiris called back to Dominique as she, Lina, and Kevin set the couch down, and she picked up the rock from Zubin's 'corpse'.

"Magic Missile!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"The men on my dad's ship get bored on long voyages, so I often serve them snacks while they play tabletop rpgs if there's nothing pressing for them to do. As such, I know a few actual spells I can cast as my team's beautiful wizard."

End Confessional

* * *

Galiris tossed the pebble right back at Dominique, only to notice it being caught by Katrina.

"Deflect missiles." Katrina read off her character sheet. "And I can spend a ki point to throw this right back at you, so I may as well."

She whipped her hand back and accidentally suckered Dominique in the stomach.

"You team killing *BEEP*" Dominique gasped before she collapsed on the ground.

"Hey, Katrina?" Lina suggested. "How about you just let us bring the couch up anyways. You want to vote off Maddie, don't you?"

"You're a smart girl, Honua number 3." Katrina addressed Lina in response.

"My name's actually L-"

"You're Honua number 3." Katrina shook her head. "Alphabetically. It's just part of my way of coping with my job as an assassin. I'm not supposed to give any names to my targets when they're given to me as a group."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"That sounds about as good a reason as any for not bothering to learn the name of that girl. It's clear she's on the bottom of that team anyways. Once, and when, Honua loses another challenge, it's obviously her to go home. No need to learn the name of someone who won't even share the merge with me."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, in any case…" Galiris said as she walked towards Katrina with her arms raised. "You _do_ want to vote of Maddie don't you? You've got the perfect opportunity to if you let us complete our objective. Besides, your goal is to get Ka Lani down to 4 as well before you pick us off right? You don't know if they have that Golden Tiki or not after all."

"Honua number 1, you know too much for your own good. Once we merge, I'll be looking to rid you first."

"Gal, I don't think we're getting anywhere with her, I think we might need to fight our way out of this."

"If either of you fucktards so much as touches me, I'll make sure you live just long enough to regret it!" Katrina growled as she reflexively reached to protect her hair as though Julia was about to pull it.

"Hm…" Kevin thought to himself as he noticed the couch on the trail, and the distracted women in their roleplay.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I...can do it."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Lake: Kokoke Island Basin_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Maddie, Pierre, Stephanie_

"Avast!" Pierre announced as he and Maddie closed in on Evan and Stephanie, who were rowing around Kokoke Island. "Sorry about this Ka Lani lubbers, but we be takin' your lives now, o'er we ain't Ka Malu O!"

"Yeah! Burn the boat down!" Maddie cheered, entirely out of character.

"How would burning our boat down even work?" Stephanie quietly pondered to herself while Evan stood to address Pierre and Maddie.

"It was Ka Lani the river goddess herself who delivered you to us today, and she has sought fit to provide us with these!"

Evan reached down into the canoe and pulled out two prop cutlasses.

"Stephanie, on guard!" He announced as he gave Stephanie one of the toy swords.

"Well, I suppose there are only two of them, and they do look incredibly weak" Stephanie stood up. "I suppose we can take these two!"

"Well it just so happens our employer outfitted us with weapons of our own!" Pierre brought out two prop cutlasses from the Ka Malu O canoe. "Let us do battle right here! The first to fall of their boat into the _acid_ below will surely perish!"

"Damn warlock!" Evan shouted as he lunged for Pierre.

"Hey Stephanie!" Maddie loudly whispered across the rocking boats while Pierre and Evan clashed toy blades. "Let's both swim to that island and make out!"

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"As much as I _don't_ want to roleplay, I also _don't_ want to lose this challenge, so while that offer was a little tempting, it'll take more than puppy eyes to get me to throw my own immunity away."

End Confessional

* * *

"I know not who you are, but if you and your partner intend to kill me and mine, I will not go peacefully!"

Stephanie drew her sword and began to double team Pierre alongside Evan.

"Two on one?" Pierre asked as he did his best to remain balanced and unhit by the prop swords. "If it's playing dirty you want, it's playing dirty you'll get! Silivia, my familiar, now!"

"Hisss!" Silivia launched herself off Pierre's shoulder and wrapped around Stephanie's eyes.

"Ahh!" I can't see, I can't-"

"Oh, shi-" Pierre realized his mistake as Stephanie's sword began to swing wildly as she lost balance, eventually knocking the two of them both into the lake.

"Stephanie, no! Why have the gods decided to take away all my friends today?" Evan asked up at the sky.

"Stephanie, are you alright?" Maddie asked as she leaned over the Ka Malu O canoe.

Stephanie remained silent as part of the challenge and didn't answer.

"I'll save you, Stephanie!" Maddie announced as she jumped off the canoe and began swimming Stephanie to shore.

"Wh-what the heck are you doing, Maddie? I'm fine! It's part of the challenge remember? The lake was turned to acid, so obviously neither Pierre nor I could talk anymore!"

"What?" Maddie looked around confused. "No, the lake's water, see!"

Evan noticed he no longer had any opposition and shrugged. He grabbed both of the Ka Lani Oars, and paddled towards Kokoke Island unopposed.

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

It was like a snowball fight, only with small pebbles.

Galiris had been hit by one to many and joined Dominique and Zubin on the ground, while Lina and Katrina continued to throw projectiles at each other.

"Why won't you just give in and die already?!" Katrina's patience was wearing thin.

"Why won't you just let us win yet? If you lose, you can just blame it on the pair that went to fight Ka Lani, right?"

"I"m not just going to let some nameless girl tell me how to play my own damn game!"

"Nnnngh! Guhhh…." A voice from behind Katrina let out a sigh and sent her spirits plummeting.

"Don't tell me…"

She turned around to see an exasperated Kevin atop the sofa, safely at the summit of Mt. Immolate.

"I...did it!" He gave a thumbs up in the air before quickly dropping it.

*BZZZT*  
"And that's the end of the challenge!" Chris announced over the loudspeaker. "Ka Lani and Honua have both completed their mission objectives, and the one remaining live member of Ka Malu O has failed to complete hers. We now go to Zastin for his opinion on which team stayed the most in character to determine exactly who the winners and losers truly are."

"Well Chris…" Zastin also announced over the loudspeaker. "It was a close call, but I'd say that the lucky winning team this challenge is…

…

…

…

…

… Team Honua! Congratulations, you're all safe another day! And, thanks to a very particular member whose name I won't mention in order to stay neutral, our unfortunate losing team is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Team Ka Malu O! One of you will be sent home tonight at the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, but first...Honua and Ka Lani, the two of you have decisions to make. Who from the other team are you each sending to Honeymoon?"

After some deliberation, Honua elected to send Stephanie to the cabin, while Ka Lani decided to send Lina.

"Ka Malu O, get up to the summit of Mt. Immolate on the double!" Chris announced. "It's elimination time!"

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Honua(Watching): Galiris, Kevin, Zubin_

 _Ka Malu O(Participating): Dominique, Julia, Katrina, Maddie, Pierre_

"Ka Malu O, Ka Malu O, what am I going to do with you?" Chris shook his head. "Can you _ever_ learn to get along or is self-destructive behavior just too ingrained in your natures?"

"I think we got along perfectly well in that challenge." Maddie cocked her head, somewhat confused.

"I think you should shut up and let the contestants that _matter_ do the talking." Katrina quickly snapped.

" _You're_ one to talk." Julia mimicked Heather's voice as she rolled her eyes.

"Ladies, ladies, I get it, you all want to be Pierre's lovely assistant." Pierre shook his head. "Unfortunately that position has already been filled…"

Julia began to beam.

"By my dear Silivia."

Julia's eyes widened.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Come on, Pierre! I think it's safe to say that we're a power duo! I mean sure, I'm also in a power duo with Katrina, but you get the idea! Include me as an ally in that statement! Jeez…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Wow." Chris blinked. "I think somehow, this team has gotten even _more_ dysfunctional then it was during the _first_ elimination ceremony!"

"Does it really surprise you that these four can't keep any friends, Chris?" Dominique asked as she turned to her teammates. "You're all a bunch of selfish-ass hoes who put their own fragile egos above winning freakin' immunity! Y'all must be crazy or something!"  
"Dominique, I'll take this time to remind you that the challenge is over, and you shouldn't be talking to your teammates." Chris grinned. "Or is there something you have to announce?"  
"You're damn right there's something I have to announce!" Dominique stood up. "These assholes aren't my teammates no more."

"Anymore." Katrina rolled her eyes.

"I will _break_ you!" Dominique stepped towards Katrina, who didn't flinch, but did stop talking.

Dominique turned back to Chris and took out the Copycat Tiki she had in her bag.

"This here is the Copycat Tiki. I ain't about to stay on a team that continues to lose challenges. I use this Copycat Tiki to copy the Shift Tiki's power, lettin' me switch to whichever team I want."

"Yeah, good luck over on Ka Lani then." Julia laughed. "They'll just vote you out right away."

"I ain't goin' over to that clique-ass team!" Dominique responded. "I'm pledging my muscle to my Honua peeps!"

"Why would you join the team with the least members? You only inch closer to elimination if you lose again you know." Katrina rose a brow.

"I wouldn't expect any of y'all to understand sticking with an ideal other than self-preservation. Fact of the matter is that my idea of individual safety is surrounding yourself with like-minded souls, who won't sing lullabies to fucking curse you, and then not even _once_ stop by my exile to I dunno deliver actual food or something! Yeah, no thanks, I think I'll stick with my gut on this one. From this moment forwards, I am officially Honua!"

"If Dominique is Honua, she is no longer eligible for elimination-" Chris began. "At least by conventional means."

"I don't understand, what does that mean?" Zubin rose his hand.

"Dominique obviously can't be voted off by Ka Malu O now that she's on Honua." Chris explained. "However, she _is_ still in possession of the Curse Tiki, which grants her a vote at every elimination ceremony she is present at. Team immunity doesn't override that vote. If, for instance, everyone in Ka Malu O tonight were to receive exactly one vote, we'd have a technical five-way tie between them and Dominique, and once again thanks to the Curse Tiki, Dominique would automatically lose the tiebreaker."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"To think the Curse Tiki is powerful enough to override Team Immunity with its vote...I shudder at the thought of what The Golden Tiki, the one Pierre currently has, is capable of. I hope someone on Ka Malu O manages to blindside him before he sees it coming."

End Confessional

* * *

"If that's all for this ceremony, why don't we get on with the votes?"

Katrina looked at Julia, and the two nodded to each other.

One by one, each contestant on Ka Malu O went up to vote.

After they had all finished, Chris left to tally the votes, and returned with a bag of three leis.

"I have here only three leis in this bag." He announced.

"If I call your name, come up and get a lei. The person who does not receive a lei must board the Hang Glide of Shame and leave the island, and you can never come back."

Chris winked incredibly obviously, though by this point no one had the energy to point it out anymore.

"The first lei goes to...Julia."  
Julia sighed with relief as she walked up to receive her lei.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"The nerve of Dominique switching like that! She wasn't even my target for elimination yet! Oh well, I suppose we'll have to show her the error of her ways the old fashioned way. By _beating_ her to submission in the challenges! *Gasp*, oh, sorry, just got a little competitive there for a second. What can I say, betrayal hurts when you're not the betrayer."

End Confessional

* * *

"The next lei goes to...Katrina." Chris handed Katrina her lei, and turned his attention towards Maddie and Pierre.

"Maddie, Pierre, this is the final lei of the evening."

"Yeah? Yeah?" Maddie started to move around in her chair.

Pierre was strangely calm however, only looking up from petting Silivia momentarily to watch Chris's dramatics.

"And it goes to…."  
Chris rose a finger, and slowly pointed at the final safe contestant of the night.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… "Pierre." Chris smiled.

Pierre stood up with a smug nod, and walked over to receive his lei.

"I'm sorry Maddie, but that's as far as your game goes." Chris shrugged.

"What?" Maddie exclaimed. "What about the all girls team we could have had? I never even got a goodbye kiss from Stephanie? *Gasp*! She's in the Honey House right now with Laura isn't she? But didn't Laura already have like two icky boyfriends? She's stealing romantic interests! I'll burn the place down, yeah!"

"Chef, a little help with this one?" Chris asked.

Chef nodded as he grabbed Maddie with a single arm and forced her into a harness, which he then attached to the hang glider.

"Good freaking riddance." Katrina sighed as Maddie was pushed off the summit as a gust of wind rolled by, sending her off into the night.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"And so Ka Malu O is now the tiny team, but all is not lost. For I still have the power of my glorious golden tiki, my lovely assistant Silivia, and my beautiful belle of an ally in Julia. Should we lose again, it is all but guaranteed that I, of all people, remain the one pulling this game show's strings."

End Confessional

* * *

"And that's a wrap on our pyromaniac for this season!" Chris announced to the camera. "Will Ka Malu O come back from this loss even though they only have three people? Will Dominique be able to adjust to the Honua play style? Will Ka Lani _ever_ actually _win_ another challenge?

Find out maybe a few of those I think, next time! On Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Maddie's Final Confessional:

"The game, I lost it hehehehehehehehe….but that's fine, because I got to eat lots of chocolate, and I got to play with my lighter and burn hair, and most importantly I got to meet Stephanie, yay! She's the one! The one who is going to win, she has to be! Otherwise, I'll burn the winner's hair off! Ooh...urf….now I'm hungry...but I'm all out of chocolate...I left my secret stache back on the island…."

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Julia voted for… Maddie_

 _Katrina voted for… Maddie_

 _Maddie voted for… Pierre_

 _Pierre voted for… Maddie_

 _The Curse Tiki voted for… Dominique_


	18. Ep 10: King of the Kaua

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua,

Spearheaded by Zubin, the Honua four put a plan to alert the other Ka Malu O of Pierre's Golden Tiki into motion, higher Nixia to pass on false information to Julia while they both sat out the immunity challenge. Speaking of the immunity challenge, it was an improvised roleplaying competition hosted by Zero Sum Second Runner Up Zastin! In the end, thanks to quick thinking on Kevin's part, Honua was able to claim victory once again, and thanks to both an admirable performance by Stephanie and a complete non-performance by Maddie, Ka Malu O was sent to elimination, where Dominique, after delivering choice words to her teammates, played the Copycat Tiki and shifted over to Honua! Yours truly explained the dangers of the Curse Tiki in horrifying detail, but rather than screw Dominique over, the majority of Ka Malu O had a more pressing matter to attend to, as they banded together and all voted Maddie off of the island. With all of Ka Malu O on the same page at at least a surface level, can they avoid being sent right back to elimination? Find out right now, on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Dominique,_

"You what?!" Cassandra gasped in shock as Dominique relayed her story about what had happened at the last elimination ceremony. "You played the Copycat Tiki and joined Honua?!"

"That explains that nervous boy Kevin's request then." Clay nodded. "Since you're cursed and all, Honua can't come visit you on exile anymore. Well, I'm more than happy to bring myself away from camp once in a while to talk."

"Same here!" Cassandra smiled. "If there's one thing that can unify the Ka Lani and Honua teams it's a burning hatred for Ka Malu O~!"

"Tell me about it!" Dominique exclaimed before the trio began to laugh together as they sat in their small circle.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Cas and I were just about to head to the woods for a jam session when Kevin of all people came knocking on our cabin door. He looked around nervously, waiting for a few minutes before he even said anything, but he was quite insistent that the two of us go talk to Dominique. Meanwhile, Evan and Nixia have disappeared to who knows where, probably to make out again, the Ka Malu O three haven't set foot outside of their cabin, and I can only wonder what ridiculous ass-pull those Honua savants are concocting this time. Still, any errand that gets me across the water from that damn snake is one I don't mind doing one bit."

End Confessional

* * *

"So Dominique, how is life on Kokoke anyways?" Cassandra asked. "Not that I ever plan to get cursed, but you know, I figure it's good to know."

"It's peaceful usually, if the weather's good, which I don't see why it wouldn't be right now." Dominique shrugged. "That said, it can get real lonely real quick. 'Specially when the one hired to watch you only ever makes small talk for some belittlein' gripe."

"Oh boo hoo." Victor groaned from a tent he'd set up for himself. "Not my fault you have a need to talk your ears off. Get over it."

"Well he's charming." Cassandra rolled her eyes turning back to Dominique and Clay and lowering her voice to a whisper. "What's his deal anyways? Why is he even here?"

"Chris mentioned something about community service instead of a fine for, I think it was something along the lines of blowin' up a bridge with a pirate ship's cannon?"

"Wow, that's unfortunate." Clay sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I can relate a little bit to Victor's current situation. He made a mistake he probably regrets, but he's basically been jailed to this island for a period of time and his regular life has been put on pause. It's not a fun feeling. That said, I wouldn't be as cranky as he is if juvy had instead been a private island retreat. Dude needs to learn perspective."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Honua

"Look! Look at that label yall! Oh man it feels so good to be rid of those three evil stooges! Next time, Immunity!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"There are thirteen of us left now, five on Ka Lani, three on Ka Malu O, and now five on Honua. All Ka Lani needs to do now is finally, _finally_ win another challenge! Preferably sending this new Honua to elimination so we can have the team with the most amount of players on it again. That safety in numbers really helped us out in the early game, and it could be a huge threat if we can take all five of us to the merge!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina, Pierre_

"I don't believe this. I _don't_ believe this." Katrina was pacing back and forth through the cabin. "I only have three people on my team, and my teammates are the freaking _circus clowns_? How the ever-loving *BEEP* are we supposed to win physical challenges without that stubborn retard on our team?"

"I think...that was probably the point?" Julia couldn't help but point out. "Looking at it from a purely-"

"I don't want to hear it from the parakeet girl." Katrina rose a hand before looking at Pierre.

"The next words to come out of either you or that snake of yours better be an idea for how to not lose any more challenges, because we _need_ to last until the merge, or we may as well all kiss the million goodbye thanks to that *BEEP*'s decision last night."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"It appears Dominique's switching has really driven a stake through our brainiac's heart. One look at it's clear she's really broken up about it, perhaps not in a selfless fashion, but her desperation to bring Dominique back to us Bats is plain to see. It's almost endearadorable honestly. I personally am not at all worried, but then again, I have this." Pierre holds up the Golden Tiki to the camera. "It truly is the perfect weapon."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"So, Katrina's kind of going a little crazy, but I guess someone had to do it in order to wean us off the dosage of crazy that Maddie'd been feeding us all this time. On the other hand, she's starting to show a few cracks that I'll be more than happy to exploit for my own benefit. I kind of liked Maddie's idea of an all girls team after all, and if I can bring Katrina with me to the finals, I'll 100% be the favor to win! Ooh, Katrina might not like it, but I ought to _thank_ Dominique for switching when she did! First up, a blindside for our dear spectacle Pierre. Cute and charming as he is, he's a threat to my game if he stays around much longer.

End Confessional

* * *

"Here's a thought for how to win the next challenge." Pierre shrugged as he let Silivia down onto the cabin floor. "We play dirty. There's always a way to sabotage these challenges, and with the four of our combined effort, I'm sure our fantastical forebrains can ploscheme a planegy!"

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I could choose any number of portmanteaus in that phrase that I think should never be uttered again, but my biggest hangup is that he actually counted the snake as a team member. I guess he's just as unwilling to accept our numbers as I am. I'm just not fake so I'll show it."

End Confessional

* * *

"Cool!" Julia motioned her hand. "So we don't know what the challenge is or anything, but we do know that whatever it is, we need to fight dirty. Who do we throw under the bus then?"  
"Don't discriminate." Katrina shook her head. "If we only go after Ka Lani or Honua, then they'll only go after us once the merge happens. We need to be smart about this. We want them both getting the short end of the stick. Assuming we merge at 10, we have enough time to whittle them both down to 4 each, and then one left over to spend on whichever side we feel like.

That group of three will then have no choice but to align with us and take out the majority when the merge does hit. Did either of you understand any of that or does the snake need to draw a picture?"

"I think we both got it." Julia nodded. "Right, Pierre?"

"A strategy sent from the heavens!" Pierre announced as he looked up towards the cabin ceiling dramatically.

"Good grief." Katrina sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I'm in for a _long_ rest of this game, aren't I?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Lina, Stephanie_

"So…" Lina twiddled her fingers.

"So…" Stephanie brushed her hair back.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"This is so awkward. I've seen Stephanie kissing Damian, but it seems like she also hooked up with Maddie, and I just have no clue what to make of any of this, and I don't want to bring it up in conversation either. 'Hey, you hooked up with my best friend, right?' I mean, who would even _ask_ that?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Did you find the tikis inside this cabin the last time you were here?" Lina asked with a shrug.

"I found the tikis inside this cabin the _first_ time I was here, with Deamian. They were hidden kind of poorly." Stephanie answered politely.

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Agh, I'm no good with quiet girls like Lina! I'm social! I need someone who knows what they want to talk about and isn't afraid to talk about it! The next challenge honestly can't come fast enough."

End Confessional

* * *

"Who do you think Ka Malu O voted off?" Stephanie finally wondered aloud.

"Hopefully those girls blindsided Pierre like they were supposed to." Lina bit her lip as she looked at the far wall of the cabin.

"I'm sorry but _what_?!" Stephanie blinked as her eyes widened.

"Oh, that's right!" Lina palmed her forehead. "You were trapped in the cabin last time too. Yeah, Pierre has the golden tiki so we're trying to blindside him off the island before he has the chance to play it."

"But we don't even know what the Golden Tiki does, do we?" Stephanie rose a brow, confused. "What happens if it's some kind of free immunity to play after votes are read?"

"That's just a worst case scenario." Lina explained. "The idea is either get him to waste his tiki early on, or ideally blindside him and flush the tiki away with him. That's why it's important that the Ka Malu O women all think _Nixia_ has the Golden Tiki."

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Wait, at what point did Honua learn of all this, and why did Ka Lani agree to help them? Well, I suppose either way as long as I can make myself useful to Ka Lani so they keep me around, you can bet that's the course of action I'll take."

End Confessional

* * *

"I'd wager they eliminated Katrina from the way everyone on that team seems to hate her to be honest." Stephanie decided to give her own estimate. "They tried to vote her off first, they tried to vote her off last time they lost, and I don't see any reason why they wouldn't try again."

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"Honestly, I'm kind of worried that Maddie won't let me have any time alone once I get back from Honeymoon this time. Her clingy-ness is pretty annoying."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"So, I'm not sure which Ka Malu O did go home, but I do know that Honua is only one win away from no longer being that team in danger of losing all its members. All we need to do is continue winning challenges! Sure we had the fluke in the quiz show challenge, but that's only bolstered our resolve to do better in these next few! And since we already did a quiz show, we know it won't be those! The Ka Malu Os' trump card skill has been utilized already, but our skill as Honua is creating winning plans! So let's go out there and win this thing!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Galiris, Kevin, Nixia, Zubin_

"Has anyone found it yet?" Zubin asked only to receive shakes of the head from all four contestants he was addressing.

"I searched up down, and all around that forest. It wasn't there." Nixia gave a sigh.

"The river and field also held no sign of it." Evan delivered his own bad news.

"The beaches had nothing." Galiris pouted. "Dug for a while in a few places too, but no luck."

"And the field was barren." Kevin finished.

"Yeah, I looked over this entire mountain and couldn't find it here either." Zubin gave a sigh of his own.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"In case anyone at home is confused as to why two Ka Lani and three Honua are all looking for a single thing, that's because it's the Heaven Tiki. It can only be played by an original Ka Lani member to give immunity to an original Ka Lani member. None of them took the clue way back on week 2, but that's the problem. Finding one of these tikis without a clue is way harder than finding one with a clue. We've exhausted nearly every possible area except…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Don't tell me that it's back on Kokoke." Zubin gave Kevin and Galiris a defeated frown.

"Gah, why did she have to switch now?" Galiris groaned. "We can't go over there anymore, and we can't go tell Clay and Cassandra about it because they already took the Ka Lani canoe over to the island!"

"We could steal the Ka Malu O canoe again." Kevin suggested.

"I'd do it in a heartbeat, Kev, but it's not that simple anymore." Zubin shook his head. "Ka Malu O have been keeping eagle eyes on their canoe ever since that first time, and they're more paranoid than ever now that there are only three of them."

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"So Honua managed to get an extra member to shift to their side from Ka Malu O. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't really matter or change anything. They're not on Ka Lani's side so the number of enemies we face in challenges remains stagnant. All Ka Lani needs to concern themselves with right now is the whereabouts of The Heaven Tiki, and if it's on Kokoke, then we need to get it pronto next week, or perhaps even after this next challenge.

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"So we're down to 13 left on this island, we've almost reached the halfway point which is _crazy_. Thankfully, I have a good alliance going with Evan, Cassandra, and Clay, and Evan has that Dove Tiki to grant us all immunity if needed. We can win this, I think. We just need to go into the merge with all four of us and our Dove Tiki. Hopefully by then we'll have The Heaven Tiki too!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"So Kevin and Zubin, being the little geniuses that those boys are, came up with this idea to send Ka Lani to interact with Dominique for us, so as to also keep Clay out of reach of Pierre's snake or something that doesn't make a lick of sense to me, but Kev and Z-man have got this search party for The Heaven Tiki going too! Everyone on Honua is working so well together, and I couldn't be more proud as a captain! Now all that's left to do is take the merge by storm! It'll happen any day now, I reckon, and that's when I'll _really_ shine!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I helped Zubin come up with what everyone seemed to think was a really clever plan, which made Gal really happy, and I got a hug again. I like Gal's hugs. I just hope Zubin changes his mind about keeping Gal at a distance. She's nice, and helpful in challenges. She's a good alliance partner I think."

End Confessional

* * *

"By the way-" Nixia mentioned to the group. "I was the one who claimed to have The Golden Tiki for our little master plan, so if you're ever pressed on it, remember that it's me, alright?"

"Thank you Nixia, you're a great help!" Galiris beamed.

"Thank you." Kevin repeated with a nod.

"Yes, we owe you one, for sure." Zubin agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"That said, we'll only _actually_ owe her one if this plan works the way it's supposed to."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"If this plan backfires however…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Nixia is the first person to be thrown under the bus."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Lake Nui Kaua (Floating Platform)_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome, remaining players!" Chris announced as Chef ferried Stephanie and Lina to the platform the rest of the contestants were all on.

"Stephanie, Lina, get your first look at the new Ka Malu O _and_ the new Honua, notice anything strange?"

"Dominique! You're on Honua now~!" Lina sang happily.

Dominique couldn't respond since the challenge hadn't officially started yet, but she did smile at Lina's enthusiasm.

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Now we have more muscle than just Gal! Woo! Go Honua!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Today's challenge…" Chris grinned as he spread both arms wide while gesturing to the platform the players were all standing on "Is one I like to call King of the Sea Castle! You'll all be on this somewhat unstable platform, floating in the lake, and your goal is to be the very last team standing! The first team to have all their players pushed off the platform and into the water will be tonight's unlucky losers, while the first players off the platform from both winning teams will be the two sent to Honeymoon Cabin! In terms of how you can knock players into the water, just about anything goes, except for a few minor rules.

Rule 1: No choking. We didn't have time to file paperwork about that type of occasion this season.

Rule 2: No genital grabbing or striking.

And finally Rule 3: No violent assault. If eagle-eyes lifeguard Chef sees you trying to actively cause harm to another contestant, you'll be disqualified from the challenge. Octo is in heat right now, and if she smells blood in the water, that's all but guaranteed a dead contestant to deal with, and the network thinks we can hold out for at least 5 more seasons, maybe 7, so don't blow this for us!

Now… does everyone understand the rules of this challenge?"

A mixture of 'yes's and nodding came from the crowd of players.

"Good. Then let's get started shall we?"

* * *

 _Challenge: King of the Sea Castle_

 _Rules: Contestants will all fight to push the opposing teams' members off of an unstable platform in the middle of Lake Nui Kaua, while abiding by a set of non-violent subrules in order to keep an in-heat man-eating octopus at bay. The first team to lose all their members will be sent to elimination, and the first members to lose from each of the two winning teams will be sent to Honeymoon. The team with the last player standing earns the right to watch the Po'ino elimination ceremony._

 _Starting Positions(contestants form a closed circle):_

 _1: Zubin_

 _2: Cassandra_

 _3: Nixia_

 _4: Julia_

 _5: Kevin_

 _6: Katrina_

 _7: Galiris_

 _8: Clay_

 _9: Lina_

 _10: Evan_

 _11: Dominique_

 _12: Stephanie_

 _13: Pierre_

* * *

 _Location: Lake Nui Kaua(Platform)_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

 _Challenge Start_

"Honua!" Galiris shouted as she immediately lunged for Clay, a big threat nearby her.

"Ka Lani!" Clay answered in kind as the two began to grapple each other, both trying their best to use their strength to toss their opponent into the water.

"You keep that up, Gal!" Zubin announced as he himself lunged at Cassandra.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Sure, ideally Ka Malu O will lose this challenge and vote Pierre off, but that's not the only thing Honua has to worry about right now. We also need to keep our cursed member safe. I personally welcome the easy vote off, but if the way Gal nearly got us both eliminated in the fear challenge is anything to go by, I doubt our de facto captain feels the same way, and Ka Lani is the only team that doesn't yet know of Dominique's curse, so if we don't get second, and do win, I'd rather they think they're the only ones eligible for elimination."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ngh...Dammit!" Cassandra yelled as Zubin's surprise attack managed to finally force her into the water.

"And Cassandra is out!" Chris announced as Chef blew a lifeguard whistle.

"Ka Lani is down to four remaining players, Honua has five, and Ka Malu O has three!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"If Ka Malu O is going to win this, we need to win it through deceit. Luckily, that's my specialty right now."

End Confessional

* * *

As Julia noticed Evan heading towards Zubin, she put her plan in motion.

"Nixia, help!" She mimicked Evan's voice, causing Nixia to turn towards the scuffle.

Only to late did she realize Julia's low sweep was enough to knock her off the platform.

"And Nixia joins Cassandra in the water!" Chris announced. "Ka Lani is already down to 3, Ka Malu O is also at 3, and Honua still has a whole five players left-"

"Gahhh!" Clay had finally managed to overcome Galiris and toss her into the water.

"Make that four players left!" Chris corrected himself.

"I'll get rid of the quiet brat." Katrina lunged towards Kevin, who ducked as the platform shifted in the water and accidentally brought both himself and Katrina over the edge, each now grabbing the edge of the platform, trying their best not to fall into the lake.

"Kevin and Katrina both in a precarious position!" Chris announced. "Can either one of them hang in there long enough for the other to fall off?"

"Hngh…" Kevin struggled to lift himself back up onto the platform.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Honua

"So, I noticed that Kevin and Katrina had managed to avoid the water, and I thought then would be a good time to go show Katrina just how screwed Ka Malu O is without me, unfortunately, _he_ got in the way."

End Confessional

* * *

"Not so fast, Dominique!" Pierre stood in Dominique's way. "I will stop you myself, as Ka Malu O's fantabulous spectacle of a captain!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Sadly, Silivia stands out too much on a floating platform such as this one, so I shan't make usage of my lovely assistant for this challengetition. Instead, I shall use my superior wittitude!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I don't have time for this!" Dominique began to charge at Pierre. "I'll just ram through you and-"

"Off the platform you go, I'm afraid." Pierre dodged Dominique's charge as she ran herself right off the platform.

"And with that, we're down to three players left on all teams!" Chris announced through his megaphone. "This is still anybody's challenge!"

"It's Ka Lani's challenge!" Evan shouted as a course of adrenaline rushed through his veins and he managed to pick of a resisting Zubin and toss him into the water.

"And Honua now down to _just_ Kevin and Lina!" Chris announced.

"Hup!" Pierre pulled Katrina back up onto the platform.

"And Katrina is back up on the platform and ready to get back in the game!" Chris announced "Now it's just Kevin hanging off the edge of the platform!"

"Kevin, hang in there!" Lina called from where she was busy fending off Stephanie, as the three Ka Malu O began to circle like sharks around her.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Well...This could be going a _lot_ better."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I was stuck on the edge of the platform, and scared I was going to lose the challenge for my team, but then I thought of an idea. Thankfully, I'm not very tall, so I don't have to worry about my feet touching the water like Katrina did. It makes moving around on the edge easier."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hah!" Pierre struck and pushed a distracted Lina off the platform.

"Oh, not so fast!" Lina gripped Pierre's arm and pulled him with her.

"I'm taking you with me, Ka Malu O!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"If Ka Malu O doesn't lose like they're supposed to, it's vital that Pierre be the one sent to Honeymoon. Kevin and Katrina's little altercation was a coincidence, but it seems to have worked out in our favor in the end. It didn't look like we were targeting Pierre after all."

End Confessional

* * *

"And with that…" Chris exclaims. "We are down to three Ka Lani, two Ka Malu O, and only one Honua!"

"Alright, time to go pluck him off, finger by finger." Katrina looked towards the area where she and Kevin had nearly fallen off, only to no longer see him over the edge.

"What the-? Which way did that little shitstain go?"

"Clay, let's sneak up on her." Julia suggested using Evan's voice.

"Right." Clay nodded as he walked towards Katrina slowly, only to be side-tackled by Julia as she shoved him into the water.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"That Julia girl on Ka Malu O...with that ventriloquism skill of hers, she might honestly pose a bigger threat than either of those two big-talkers on that team."

End Confessional

* * *

"And just like last challenge" Chris exclaimed through the megaphone. "Evan and Stephanie are all that's left for Ka Lani! They have a grand total of three opponents! Can they overcome the odds?"

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"The answer is of course I can! I can't let Ka Lani lose again! I'm sure I can overpower than frail-looking brainiac girl, meanwhile, Evan can keep Julia in check, and then we can both search for Kevin and trap him if he hasn't fallen off the platform by that time already."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Things aren't looking good for Ka Malu O right now, since we have three opponents, only two of which we can still see. It would be easiest to search for and find Kevin to send Honua to elimination, at least on paper, but Ka Lani sure as hell won't let Katrina and I look peacefully."

Julia's frown then turns into a smirk.

"Then again, Ka Lani's never been one to really understand strategy or power plays."

End Confessional

* * *

"Not the hair, not the _hair_!" Katrina shouted as Stephanie began to grapple her opponent.

"Evan!" Stephanie called. "Get the parrot chick!"

"Of course." Evan grinned a wolf's grin as he stepped towards Julia. "Your voice trickery won't save you from me, just so you know. My ears are wild. They've been trained to hear the differences between a real-deal and the fake thing. What say you, Ka Malu O? Ready to lose yet another member?"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"To be perfectly honest? Yeah, I could stand to lose one more member. I haven't _entirely_ decided which of them to bring with me to the merge yet, but once I do, I certainly won't be needing the other one. If there's one thing that watching the last season has taught me, it's that two is all you really need in an alliance if you're smart enough with how you use your votes."

End Confessional

* * *

"Maybe we can talk this over and find that final Honua member first?" Julia shrugged with a nervous grin as she felt herself get closer and closer to the edge.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"There I was, about to push that pesky Ka Malu O woman off the platform, when utter tragedy struck."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gyaaah!"

"Argghh!"

Both Stephanie and Katrina screamed, causing Evan and Julia to look over to where their scuffle had been taking place just in time to see Kevin pull the two of them into the water, using their weight as leverage to hoist himself back up onto the platform.

"I don't believe it!" Chris yelled. "We have only one member from each team left! Evan from Ka Lani, Julia from Ka Malu O, and Kevin from Honua! The stakes in this challenge have never been higher!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Way to go Kevin! You've got this! All you need to do is get just _one_ of them into the water, and we're home free for another week!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Come on Evan, you've got this! We just need to hold out as a team for a few more challenges, just a few more and then we'll be at the merge!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Julia has already won this challenge for Ka Malu O of course." Pierre grins as he pets Silivia in the confessional. "After all, Kevin should know he needs Julia's help to take down Evan, and Kevin will be easy enough to fool once that's been taken care of. Now you can see the true terror of Ka Malu O when backed into a corner. Every part of this challenge has been quickly and expertly planned down to the last detail. That is the threat that Katrina's mind, my brilliance, and Julia's skills pose when fused together!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Kevin!" Julia called. "You and I both know that we can't take Evan without working together, so what do you say? Temporary truce?"

"Um…." Kevin thought about it.

"Come on Kevin, do you really want Ka Malu O to stay in this game?" Evan pleaded his own case.

"Well, it's not about who I want to stay in the game…" Kevin mumbled. "It's about who has the most numbers right now, and Ka Lani has more members Ka Malu O, and I think I can take her afterwards."

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"You've got to be kidding me, come on Kevin! Use your morals! Ka Malu O is the _enemy_! Those three can't possibly be trusted! Why can't you see that?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"It doesn't matter which person goes off the platform first. It just can't be me. Honua needs second place above all else right now. We have to hide Dominique's vulnerability."

End Confessional

* * *

Kevin turned to face Evan. "I'm sorry." He apologized while avoiding eye contact. "This isn't about trust or morals. This is about Honua."

Julia gave a grin as she nodded. "Well said Kevin, well said. Now let's get him!"

Both Kevin and Julia ran at Evan, who met them both head on.

"And it appears Kevin and Julia have teamed up against Evan!" Chris announced. "He's holding his own pretty well. Can he turn this around for Ka Lani?"  
"Grahhh…" Evan grunted as his muscles tensed up while Julia and Kevin edged him closer to the edge of the platform.

And even closer to the edge.

And even _closer_ to the edge.

Now all three contestants were teetering on the edge of the platform.

Julia's lips curved into a smirk as she enacted the final phase of her plan.

"Two-fer!" She mimicked Geoff as she put a hand on Kevin's back and put all her weight behind it for one giant push.

The boys both fell into the water, and the one who touched the water first was…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

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…

…

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… Evan.

"Ka Malu O wins King of the Sea Castle, thanks to Julia!" Chris announced. "And thanks to Kevin, Honua comes in a close second! Evan and Stephanie put up an amazing fight, but unfortunately, Ka Lani will be heading to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, where one of them will be the next contestant voted off the island! Julia and Katrina will get to watch, meanwhile, Pierre, Galiris, go with Chef. The two of you have business to attend to in Honeymoon Cabin!"

* * *

Confessional: Stephanie: Ka Lani

"No...No...No!" The gears in Stephanie's head are clearly turning as she thinks about what to do. "I need something, _anything_ that can buy me some more time in this game!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honua Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lina, Stephanie, Zubin_

"You aren't even trying to turn any pairs against each other for a swing vote?" Zubin asked, somewhat confused as Stephanie relayed her situation to Honua.

"I've been trying since I even became the bottom woman on my team!" Stephanie explained. "But no matter how much I try and persuade any of them, they're all just too nervous to make any actual plays! Ka Malu O isn't going to help me obviously, which is why I'm here! I'm begging you guys, if anyone has any idea where the Heaven Tiki is, it's you three…"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"This is actually a rather difficult position to be in. Stephanie would be a wonderful ally to have. She's strong and fit, and probably submissive to most plans without a second thought. However, I've been playing a long game's strategy since day 1, and if I hand over knowledge of the Heaven Tiki's whereabouts to Stephanie, Clay _could_ end up going home, and it's still too early for that. I need him and his alliance to trust me completely, but if Stephanie finds the tiki herself thanks to Kevin or Lina helping her, things could get ugly later on down the line."

End Confessional

* * *

"As a matter of fact…" Zubin reached into his pocket. "We figured out the Heaven Tiki's location earlier this morning. It was on Kokoke Island."

Zubin took out his rock that looked like a dove, a bat, and a tree. "This is the Heaven Tiki here, but I'm not sure we can trust ourselves to give it to you, after all, you're Ka Lani, and you might save it for the merge."

"I promise I'll play it tonight, please!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Wow, her desperation is actually making the air more humid than normal. She didn't even realize the obvious fault in Zubin's fake story."

End Confessional

* * *

"I have a better idea." Kevin said as he grabbed a tiki ornament from the nightstand in the cabin's room. "Use this. Convince them it's the real Heaven Tiki. As long as you found it on Kokoke, they should believe you, and you may be able to get through this without any votes cast on you."

After profusely thanking Zubin, Kevin, and Lina, and giving each of them a kiss on the forehead, Stephanie headed off towards the elimination ceremony.

"We need to keep that rock." Kevin relayed his thoughts to Zubin as Stephanie left earshot and their line of sight.

"I wasn't planning on giving it to her anyways." Zubin agreed. "It's just that we needed to make it seem like the Heaven Tiki has already been found and is in the possession of people who can't use it. That way, no one goes looking for the real thing, and we eliminate an otherwise big threat to the Honua agenda."

"Is this like, all you boys ever do, come up with these complex strategies?" Lina asked with a laugh.

"Hey, we've seen your side of the cabin before too." Zubin responded with a grin. "You're one to talk."

"What can I say? Gal and I get worked up and can't sleep sometimes." Lina smiled.

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Ka Malu O(watching): Julia, Katrina_

 _Ka Lani(Participating): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia, Stephanie_

"Ka Lani...a pleasure to see your faces here at the summit of Mt. Immolate again." Chris grinned with a nod as the Ka Lani five sat down on their seats.

"Evan, close challenge today huh?"

"Yeah, it was a really close one Chris, but I'm just one person, and when I'm flanked like that, I can only hold out for so long. I think we fought well, all things considered though."

"Really?" Chris asked "because from where I'm sitting, I see Cassandra and Nixia who were both knocked off almost right away!"

"Yeah, but since they're part of his little power alliance, he's going to avoid blaming them at all so he can justify voting me off instead." Stephanie shrugged.

Julia and Katrina's eyes both widened as they looked at each other with mutual interest in the statement.

"Clay." Chris addressed Clay. "Stephanie just laid out a bomb at this ceremony. She says that there's a power alliance, and that she's not a part of it."

"Chris, I'm not about to beat around the bush with this, there _is_ a power alliance on this team. It consists of myself, Nixia, Evan, and Cassandra. However, the reason this alliance exists in the first place is because a separate alliance of four was made between Stephanie, Aleister, Alice, and Steven back during the capture the flag challenge. Nixia and Aleister entered a tiebreaker, Nixia won, and we've been in control of the team since then. It could have just as easily been Aleister to win and give control of the game to Stephanie's allies."

"And like, I get that." Stephanie continued to argue her side of the current conflict. "These four though, they don't have any actual long-term plans. What happens when I leave? They inevitably have to turn on each other. Total Drama only ends when one player is left standing, not when one _alliance_ is left standing. I honestly think it would be in Cassandra and Clay's best interest to join me in voting Nixia off the island tonight. It would help them secure a position over the romantic couple that are those two nature lovers."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Ohmygosh this elimination ceremony is _great_! Stephanie's leaking _all_ of Ka Lani's inner workings as she tries to stay in the game. I kind of hope she does now! She's being smart enough to give herself a fighting chance against her teammates right now, but dumb enough to doom them all to elimination later on!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I personally think Stephanie is overestimating the value Evan and Nixia put on their relationship above our alliance." Cassandra told Chris. "It'd take nothing short of a Twist Tiki in order for Stephanie to stay in the game."

"I'm glad to hear you say that then…" Stephanie smiled as she took out Kevin's fake ornamental tiki. "Because I _have_ one."

Julia capped her hands over her mouth and bobbed her head up and down excitedly as she looked between Katrina and the actual elimination ceremony.

"Don't tell me that's the-" Evan's eyes widened.

"This...is the Heaven Tiki!" Stephanie lied confidently. "As an original Ka Lani member, I can play it after the votes are made but before the results are known to grant myself or another original Ka Lani member individual immunity. Since you all seem so keen on voting me off, I think no matter what happens, I'll be playing it for myself tonight, and I _will_ be voting Nixia."

"Wow." Chris grinned with a small chuckle. "Any of you four care to respond to that?"

"Yes, actually, I have an important question to ask." Evan rose a hand. "Stephanie, where did you _find_ the Heaven Tiki? Because it so happens, that I have a clue, and know the location it's buried."

Stephanie wasn't perturbed even slightly. "I found it on Kokoke island, if you _must_ know, but I don't think that matters right now. What matters right now is that a vote for me is a wasted vote. It's no sense in fighting it, Nixia ought to be sent home. She's been through two tiebreakers already, come one guys."

The alliance of four all exchanged looks with each other.

"Well" Chris smiled "It appears even with a clear power alliance of four, there's still room for unexpected surprises. Unfortunately, it's now time to vote. Nixia, you're up first."

"I guess if it's you or me, I know who to vote for." Nixia shrugged as she wrote down Stephanie's name.

Clay was sent up to vote next.

Evan after him.

Then Stephanie walked up to vote. She wrote down Nixia's name on her piece of paper.

"Maybe now I'll finally manage to crack this freaking four-person sheep that is the Ka Lani power alliance."

After Stephanie returned, Cassandra went up to cast her vote, very hesitantly.

She thought for awhile before finally writing down a name.

"Sorry." She whispered.

After Cassandra returned and sat down, Chris went to tally the votes.

"Hey, hey!" Julia whispered to the Ka Lani five, soon to be Ka Lani four. "Thanks a whole bunch for telling the two of us how your team works! Suck it, Ka Lani!"

"Don't talk to the prey." Katrina pulled Julia back to the winners' bench. "They won't be around for much longer anyways."

"Yeah, we're real scared about a bookworm, a circus act, and whatever Pierre's supposed to be." Cassandra talked back.

"We beat you this time, we'll beat you next time." Katrina shrugged. "Your team is only going to be weaker after this elimination ceremony."

"Alright, I'm back." Chris announced as he returned with a bag of leis.

"If anyone has a Twist Tiki and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."

All eyes centered on Stephanie.

She clutched Kevin's ornamental tiki.

She looked at Nixia.

She looked at Clay.

She looked at Evan.

She looked at Cassandra.

She looked at the winners' bench.

"If-"

"Chris." Stephanie cut Chris off as she stood up and handed him the ornamental tiki. "I'd like to play this for myself."

"This…" Chris smiled. "Is _not_ the Heaven Tiki. All votes cast against Stephanie will still count."

Julia clasped her hands together and began to squeal at the elaborateness of what she had honestly thought would be an open and shut elimination ceremony.

"If I call your name, come up at get a lei. If you do not receive a lei, you must immediately take the Hang Glide of Shame off the island and you can't come back. The first lei goes to-"

Chris paused.

"Cassandra!"

Cassandra sighed as she walked up to grab her lei.

"Evan."

Evan also gave a sigh of relief as he walked up to grab his own lei.

"Clay."

After Clay grabbed his lei from Chris, the host turned to face Nixia and Stephanie.

"Nixia, Stephanie, I only have one lei left to hand out tonight. A lot has happened at this ceremony. Far more than any other Ka Lani elimination I've seen so far, so keep this up! It's great for ratings!"

"Just give the last lei already!" Katrina ordered impatiently. "I want to go to bed and get some sleep!"

"Geez, you're no fun!" Chris groaned. "Fine, the last lei of the night goes to…

…

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…

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…

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… Nixia"

"Damn." Stephanie sighed as Nixia walked up to receive her final lei.

"Well Stephanie, that was a _spirited_ last stand." Chris grinned. "Unfortunately, it's time for you to go. Remember, try not to hurt yourself upon landing in the water. Octo's still in heat after all. Hahahh"

"I gave it my best shot, but I guess the four of you don't feel like actually playing this game." Stephanie sighed as she grabbed the Hang Glide of Shame and caught a breeze as it passed by.

"Tell Honua I wish them luck!" She called as she left.

"And we are now down to only twelve contestants left!" Chris announced as he looked into the camera. "Not only that, but for the first time ever this season, _Honua_ has the numbers on the other two teams! Can they keep those numbers? How will Ka Lani fair now that only the power alliance of four is left? Which scheming Ka Malu O member will truly take control of their dwindling team? Find out next time on Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Stephanie's Final Confessional:

"So, I definitely have a lot of talks to have with my friends and family back home if any of them were watching this show, but I suppose that's besides the point for these confessionals. I like my game. I would have preferred if my teammates actually wanted to _play_ a bit more, but I guess I can't fault them for wanting to stick with the popular crowd. It does say something about the trust they have in each other if they really did all vote for me even with my fake tiki. Like I said before though, I'd rather route for someone on Honua to win than those jerks on Ka Malu O or the four people who don't make any plays at all and are only getting by on numbers. I guess that's about it."

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Cassandra voted for… Stephanie_

 _Clay voted for… Stephanie_

 _Evan voted for… Stephanie_

 _Nixia voted for… Stephanie_

 _Stephanie voted for… Nixia_


	19. Ep 11: Double-Cross Feature

_**AN: Question for all readers (But especially for readers that submitted OCs) at the end of this chapter!**_

* * *

 _Chris's Recap:_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua:

The Ka Malu O three held an all-day strategy meeting, where they decided that, because they no longer had any numbers, they would start to put all their energy into exploiting as much out of the challenges as possible to force other teams towards Po'ino. Meanwhile, an island-wide hunt for the Heaven Tiki commenced, but when not a soul found it, Zubin, Kevin, Evan, Galiris, and Nixia all concluded that the tiki must be somewhere on Kokoke Island. The challenge was a classic game of King of the Hill, just on a platform in the middle of a lake home to a man-eating octopus hahahahaaah! Man I love this show! In the end, thanks to Kevin's ambush strategy and Julia's mimickry and last-minute betrayal, Ka Lani became the unlucky losers, prompting Stephanie to seek help from the only people she could turn to, Team Honua. In the end, Stephanie gave a convincing argument about playing this game and making big moves to the other members of her team, and attempted to bluff her way to safety using an ornamental tiki that Kevin had given her from the Honua cabin. Unfortunately for her, the Ka Lani majority alliance decided to stick together anyways, even in the face of a possible immunity tiki, and Stephanie was voted off the island. We only have twelve left, but after the end of this double-feature episode, we'll be down to 10! Which of our freak shows- I mean _contestants_ will be able to make it to the merge? Find out right now, right here, on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Pierre_

Galiris and Pierre sat across from each other in the Honeymoon Cabin.

"I've been wondering this for a while Pierre, but have you gone looking for the Golden Tiki that Oswald mentioned yet? Or have you just had your snake do it?"

"Well, I couldn't look on my ownsome while we were trapped in those cages, remember?" Pierre laughed. "But if you _must_ know, sailor girl, I'll inform you that I myself haven't lifted a muscle to search for the Golden Tiki. Only my dear Silivia has done any legwork. Impressive for an animal with no legs, isn't it?"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"I'm not sure what this time in Honeymoon alone with Pierre will accomplish in terms of the Honua master plan to flush his Golden Tiki, but I figured that while we're both here, I might as well get him to spill as many beans as possible."

End Confessional

* * *

"You're telling me that your snake found the Golden Tiki all by herself?!" Galiris feigned excitement. "You must be so talented to have trained her that well!"

"Ah, it's glad to see _someone_ recognize my skillents!" Pierre smiled as he boasted. "The women I currently share my team with are far less creatively inclined than yours truly! So, miss 'I don't believe in tikis', would you like to know what it is my Golden Tiki does?"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"The sailor girl in Honeymoon with me is clever in her own right, but perhaps not cautious enough. I'll be able to fill her head with all sorts of lies about what my precious Golden Tiki does, and she will in turn spread the misinformation to her own team."

End Confessional

* * *

"Tell me, sailor girl, have you ever played Mario Kart?" Pierre asked with a devilish grin.

"Yeah." Galiris folded her arms. "My middle school best friend had a game console at her house, and whenever she had birthdays or holiday parties, we'd always play it. Why?"

"The Golden Tiki is very much akin to a golden mushroom in that regard." Pierre responded. "On the surface, it's just an immunity tiki that I can play whenever I want on whomever I wish, but I can use it over and over and over. There are two drawbacks to the tiki however, to keep me from playing it on me all the time. If I play it when I don't need to play it, say someone else had more votes than whomever I played the tiki on did to begin with, it goes away for good, and furthermore, if whomever I play the tiki on has no votes cast against them, I'll be eliminated on the spot. I trust you understand that not a word of this is to leave the cabin, correct?"

"Oh, of course!" Galiris lied with a smile. "Like I said back when the tiki was revealed, I don't believe in these tikis! After all, if you just keep winning, you don't have to worry about no tiki anyways!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"Oh, what a pleasantly simple-minded girl."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Now, I've got no way to prove what I was just told is true, but what I have learned is that both Victor and Pierre claim that Pierre has the Golden Tiki, and since Pierre hasn't ever talked to Victor to my knowledge, Honua can finally one-hundred percent confirm the Golden Tiki's location. I guess I'll know if what he was telling me is true or not by watching Ka Malu O's next elimination ceremony."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Nixia_

"So it's only the four of us on Ka Lani now…" Nixia noted as she and Evan walked through the forest on a small date.

"Yeah, and that's a problem. We need to last for the next two challenges otherwise we'll either head into the merge without a Dove Tiki, or we'll have to turn on each other before our alliance reaches the merge."

"Just a hypothetical…" Nixia hummed as she stroked the branches of some nearby shrubs while the two walked by. "But if that does happen, who are we voting off?"

"Cassandra." Evan answered without hesitation. "Clay has that legacy tiki, and if we vote him off before her, he'd probably will it to her instead of us."

"Really?" Nixia rose a brow. "I dunno about that, the two of you seem pretty close to me."

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"Clay is probably my best bud on this island, but my closest and most valuable ally is definitely the cute girl that can control animals to extraordinary extents. Thinking strategically, without any emotions on my end involved, the pecking order is clear. I'm sure Clay's come to similar conclusion considering the relationship that Nixia and I have can easily be seen as a threat to him and Cassandra."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"So I was wondering something about the Heaven Tiki...whose to say someone not on Ka Lani hasn't already found it? For instance, perhaps one of the Honua could have lied about not finding it during our island search last week. If that's the case, maybe they're all trying to get us Ka Lani on Kokoke Island for something. I've heard they stole Ka Malu O's canoe before, so maybe we have something they want too? I dunno, but with the merge inching ever closer, I'm feeling more and more paranoid, heheh…"

End Confessional

* * *

"We may be close, but it's clear that Cassandra has more of his trust in terms of the game." Evan explained. "The same way I trust you more than I trust him, you know."

"Oh you…"

Nixia stretched up and the two shared a kiss before continuing on their walk.

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Zubin_

"I wonder what's going on in Honeymoon this time." Kevin muttered as he drew in the dust of the volcano's summit. "I hope Gal's alright."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"This happens almost every time Gal goes off to the Honeymoon Cabin. Kevin gets all antsy. Like, I can understand his anxiousness to an extent, since the whole idea behind Honeymoon was to get inter-team alliances to be a thing, though I feel like that's somewhat impossible now with the way the team rivalries have been getting recently. In any case, it's clear to both myself and Lina that Kevin's got a thing for Gal, and that's detrimental to my game, so if I have to, I'll blindside her without his help and do damage control later."

End Confessional

* * *

"She's fine." Zubin assured Kevin. "She's probably drawing information out of Pierre about his tiki. It's been a while since we've had to deal with an actual elimination ceremony, but don't you remember how ruthless she was back in Kaleaf's elimination? Or how she acted before Astral's? She's a scary player when she's angry. If anything, I'd be worried about Pierre and his snake's wellbeing."

Kevin gave a small laugh at Zubin's joke.

"I'm all done with the drawing by the way." Kevin announced as he showed Zubin his drawing in the dirt.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I drew a picture of the Earth Tiki i found back on week 2 for Zubin. We're going to try and forge another fake Heaven Tiki, this one to make it seem like we've truly found the real one. That way, Ka Lani gives up looking for it. All we have to do is smuggle the fake to Dominique during the challenge and let her in on the details."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, that's perfect." Zubin nodded as he looked at the drawing Kevin had created. "In that case...the Heaven Tiki would probably look just like…"

The two began to set to work on creating a design for their second fake Heaven Tiki.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique, Katrina_

To her surprise, Dominique noticed Katrina, alone, rowing the Ka Malu O canoe to Kokoke Island.

"Is there some kind of medical problem?" Dominique asked. "Why are you even here?"

"I want to read." Katrina held up her book. "The island's too filled with people pretending to be the mastermind behind the game for me to read peacefully."

"Fine." Dominique sighed.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Honua

"What the hell is she doing here? What the _hell_ is she doing here? I swear she rowed specifically to my camp on this island just to piss me off! Arrogant little-..."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Dominique betrayed Ka Malu O in a fashion that I find cowardly and utterly despicable. For all her talk about me being a bad teammate, _she_ was the one who left at the first chance she got, leaving the rest of us out to dry with not a single muscular member left on our team. All she's done is helped Honua's majority get to the merge without dilemma by bolstering their numbers, just as they planned all along. Think about it, they're the strategy team. Their politeness is only a cover to mask their own selfish ends. It's like no one here has ever heard of the phrase "Better the devil you know than the one you don't."

End Confessional

* * *

"Hey…" Katrina spoke up from her book when she had finally finished the chapter she was working on. "Do you hate me and the others on Ka Malu O?"

"Only 'cause it's clear y'all hate me right back." Dominique shrugged.

"I didn't hate you."

"Bullshit."

"I'm serious." Katrina remained calm. "The feelings I have towards you, until very recently, were feelings of complete and utter apathy."

"You really know how to punch where it hurts, girl." Dominique frowned. "You saying I didn't matter to you?"

"Pretty much." Katrina confirmed. "But that all changed when you switched teams. I was distraught and angry beyond my control, even more so than when Maddie ruined my tiki play, and I realized that now you do matter. My feelings towards you are no longer apathy." Katrina closed her book and stood up from where she had been sitting to look down on Dominique.

"Now, just as you'd always assumed, my feelings for you are an intense and burning hatred. I hope you joining Honua comes back to bite you in the ass in the worst way possible. I won't miss you when you're eliminated, what was the word you kept calling me? *BEEP*? In any case, consider yourself disowned from my team."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"Full of morons as it is, they're still morons that I can control."

End Confessional

* * *

Dominique would have responded with all manner of insults, but she was still in such shock that Katrina even took time out of the day to say anything that as she left, alone in the Ka Malu O canoe, all Dominique could do was lie back on the ground and stare up at the sky, dumbfounded at what had just occurred.

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Lina_

"There!" Lina smiled as she captured yet another bug. "Ooh, this beetle is an interesting one!"

"You looking for bugs?" Julia asked, startling Lina from behind.

"Eep! Uhm, I mean, Julia? What do you want, Ka Malu O?"

"Whoa, relax, I'm not here for anything sinister. I'm just bored. Pierre's in Honeymoon and Katrina took the canoe and left to I dunno where. I thought she'd have rowed down the river, but I guess not."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Lina's a quiet one that tends to keep to herself, and in my experience there are two types of threats in Total Drama. The physical threat challenge beasts, and the quiet ones that keep to themselves, because what else can you do when you're alone but _think_? They usually have the best strategies and often surprise people by making it far in the game. Now, these two traits are not mutually exclusive, case in point Zero Sum's Carys, but last I checked, Lina wasn't a challenge beast. Aaaanyways, I wanted to get a read on her psyche, possibly find some weakness to exploit later on down the line. But then she said something that caught me entirely off-guard."

Postpone Confessional

* * *

"Why didn't you blindside Pierre at your last elimination ceremony?" Lina asked. "I was in Honeymoon so I couldn't see it but from what I understood, Dominique switched to Honua, so why didn't you get rid of the one remaining player who might've found the Golden Tiki?"

* * *

Resume Confessional

"Like really! Dang, Lina you aren't beating around the bush with this strategy talk are you? Hahahahaha...This is why I look for the quiet ones, they've got interesting thoughts to share. If I can ever grab that Kevin kid away from Zubin or Galiris, I'd love to talk to him too.

End Confessional

* * *

"To be perfectly honest, the thought crossed my mind, but Katrina had wanted to get rid of Maddie for so long and still didn't throw any challenges to do it, so I decided to give her my vote, and of course Pierre did as well, after all Maddie _was_ the one who ended up costing Ka Malu O that D &D challenge after all. Maybe during the merge I'll be available, but you'd have to leave your own alliance and make a new one with me. I don't support alliance moonlighting."

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Mau O

"Because I'm the only one allowed to double-ally."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Wow, this is great, Julia's giving away all this information because she thinks I'm a quiet loner! It's too bad for her that Gal's going to hear all about this talk when she gets back from Honeymoon. Honua's finally in a position of undisputed power for once. You think we're going to turn on each other now, when things are going our way? Only Ka Malu O rodents are self-centered enough to think that way. Ooh, trash-talking the other teams _is_ fun!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Entertainment Bonfire Pit_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay_

"I'm not sure about this…" Clay looked at a smiling Cassandra who was sitting across the bonfire from him while he took out his guitar from its case and tuned it.

"Trust me, it'll help a lot. You told me you wrote a song about how juvy made you stronger right? Well, If you play it, maybe you can convince yourself to not get so worked up over that snake of Pierre's!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Then, when he's calm, we can talk about how to deal with Evan and Nixia if we lose both these next two challenges. The Dove Tiki will only work for one ceremony after all."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Clay nodded as he finished tuning his guitar. "Here goes."

"Woo!" Cassandra gave a small applause.

Clay nodded and after a brief beginning instrumental, he began to sing.

"Another mission

The powers have called me away

Another time

To carry the colors again

My motivation

An oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor

Of coming back home again

No explanation

Will matter after we begin

Unlock the dark destroyer that's buried in me

My true vocation

And now my unfortunate friend

You will discover

A war you're unable to win

I'll have you know

That I've become

Indestructible

Determination that is incorruptible

From the other side

A terror to behold

Annihilation will be unavoidable

Every broken enemy will know

That their opponent had to be invincible

Take a last look around while you're alive

I'm an indestructible master of war

Another reason

Another cause for me to fight

Another fuse uncovered

Now, for me to light

My dedication

To all that I've sworn to protect

I carry out my orders

With not a regret

A declaration

Embedded deep under my skin

A permanent reminder

Of how we began

No hesitation

When I am commanding the strike

You need to know

That you're in for the fight of your life

You will be shown

How I've become

Indestructible

Determination that is incorruptible

From the other side

A terror to behold

Annihilation will be unavoidable

Every broken enemy will know

That their opponent had to be invincible

Take a last look around while you're alive

I'm an indestructible master of war."

Clay proceeded to play the guitar solo of the song.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I like to think this song is now both about my time in juvy making me stronger _and_ sticking a big middle finger to Pierre on Ka Malu O. Cassandra was right, this song is really helping me feel on top of things! I'm…" Clay grins.

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm...

Indestructible" Clay sang as the guitar solo ended.

"Determination that is incorruptible

From the other side

A terror to behold

Annihilation will be unavoidable

Every broken enemy will know

That their opponent had to be invincible

Take a last look around while you're alive

I'm an indestructible master of war

Indestructible

Determination that is incorruptible

From the other side

A terror to behold

Annihilation will be unavoidable

Every broken enemy will know

That their opponent had to be invincible

Take a last look around while you're alive

I'm an indestructible master of war!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Wooo! Man, that song even pumped _me_ up, and I thought I was _already_ pumped!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Wow, I do feel on top of things now." Clay admitted to Cassandra. "Thanks for the suggestion, it worked like a charm."

"Then now would be a good time to discuss Ka Lani's situation. If we _had_ to vote off someone...who would you vote off first?"

"Nixia." Clay responded without any hesitation.

Cassandra frowned. "I was afraid of that. There's no way you'd vote Evan before you voted for Nixia?"

"Zero. It's Nixia, then Evan. I'm sure he plans for it to be you and then me, in this hypothetical anyways." Clay answered.

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"The truth of the matter is, the reason Evan and I both plan to vote Cassandra and Nixia first is because if there is a tie, we'll still both be on the same team at least, and can talk to each other to determine whether or not we should ally along the girls we like or to use a common phrase, keep bros before hoes. No way we're telling either of _them_ that though."

End Confessional

* * *

*BZZZZT*

"Hello Contestants!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers. "We're in for a hectic weekend! It's a challenge _double-feature_! Here's how it's going to work, today we'll have one challenge, we'll send a pair to Honeymoon, have and elimination the works, but we'll have another challenge _tomorrow morning_ , with an elimination ceremony taking place immediately afterwards, because guess what happens immediately after _that_ tomorrow?"

Clay and Cassandra looked at each other.

"That's right, Kevin!" Chris announced, answering Kevin's guess from elsewhere on the island. "We're steamrolling straight into the merge, where the teams will be officially dissolved and it'll be every camper for themselves! Meet me at Nui Kaua Beach for the first of your challenges on the double!"

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Today's challenge is a simple and short one." Chris grinned as Chef brought Pierre and Galiris from Honeymoon Cabin. "It's the first ever Nui Kaua Fashion Show!"

"A fashion show?!" Pierre's eyes lit up. "Ka Malu O, allow me to take charge on this fine day, for I was born the most fantaglamabeauteamorous of them all!"

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"One..Two...Three..Four...Five..Six. He combined six different fucking words that all mean the same damn thing. He's going to single-handedly murder this language."

End Confessional

* * *

"In this challenge... " Chris explained. "Teams will select a single contestant to compete in each category of Sleepwear, Swimwear, and Formal Wear. Once a team member has gone and shown off the outfit they brought to Nui Kaua for their round's purpose, they cannot go again. The judges, Chef, Victor, and yours truly, will give each contestant three scores out of ten for a total score out of thirty. In the end, the team with the highest score out of 90 points reserves the right to watch the team with the lowest score out of 90 points send someone home at the weekend's first Po'ino Bonfire. Is this challenge understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone answered.

"In that case, I'll let the teams decided who will represent them in each section."

* * *

 _Challenge: Nui Kaua Fashion Show_

 _Sleepwear Competition:_

 _Representing Ka Lani: Nixia_

 _Representing Ka Malu O: Katrina_

 _Representing Honua: Galiris_

 _Swimwear Competition:_

 _Representing Ka Lani: Cassandra_

 _Representing Ka Malu O: Julia_

 _Representing Honua: Dominique_

 _Formal Wear Competition:_

 _Representing Ka Lani: Clay_

 _Representing Ka Malu O: Pierre_

 _Representing Honua: Lina_

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Beach_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

 _Sleepwear Competition_

"First up…" Chris announced as he read off the paper. "Representing Ka Lani, we have Nixia!"

Nixia walked out onto the makeshift runway, her face red with embarassment as she walked towards the judges wearing her black sports bra on her chest and white-rose patterned sapphire blue pajama pants.

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Ugh, I didn't really want to be the one to come out and show off their pajamas, but Cassandra's is practically nothing but underwear, allegedly so is Clay's, and Evan's sleepwear was...yeah, that wasn't going to score us any fashion points at all."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well judges, what do we think?" Chris asked.

"I wouldn't mix a black top-half with a sapphire bottom, but the white-rose design saves it." Victor gave a surprisingly tame response. "6.5"

"I think she's missing the top half o' her PJ's!" Chef grunted. "Far as I'm concerned she's only half-completed this challenge. 1.5!"

"And maybe Victor doesn't mind the flowers, but I think roses have no business on a tropical island." Chris gave his own opinion. "4.6"

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Wow… our fairest and most unbiased score came from _Victor_? Something tells me this fashion show isn't the conventional kind."

End Confessional

* * *

"Next up is Katrina representing Ka Malu O!" Chris announced as Katrina sighed and walked onto the walkway wearing a red and white nightgown.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"This is stupid. I _should_ be repping us in formal wear. As it happens, part of my plans for what to do with the money when I win this game is create a store where I can sell suits, and I even brought one of my own design here to the island when I heard we needed to bring a change of formal wear, but that fop thinks he's got this challenge all figured out and with Julia there egging him on, there's not much I can do to fight their combined ramblings."

End Confessional

* * *

"6.2" Victor decided after Katrina stopped to pose. "She fills the gown well, but honestly, she's more of a suit girl to me."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"I fucking knew it."

End Confessional

* * *

"3.4!" Chef exclaimed. "Girl's too skinny, needs to eat more!"

"My thoughts are…" Chris held up his score of 5.0 "Meh."

After Katrina left the runway, it was Galiris's turn. "Finally, representing Honua we have Galiris!" Chris announced.

Galiris walked across the runway, sporting a deep-sea marine animal themed robe with a collar large enough to bring the neckline just above her torso and two dolphin shaped slippers.

"6.0" Victor nodded to himself. "Like Katrina with the nightgown, Galiris here fills her clothing well, but it may be a tad on the large side for her. She needs to grow into it a bit more."

"2.9!" Chef announced. "None of these girls are taking fashion seriously!"

"I concur!" Chris agreed. "3.7!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Well, that could have definitely gone better, but we put Dominique and Lina in their positions for a reason, and it'll become apparent in the next round!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Swimwear Competition_

"First up for the swimwear competition is Cassandra of Ka Lani!" Chris announced as Cassandra walked down the runway in a black bikini.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra: Ka Lani

"Sure, none of us really had too unique swimsuits, but there's a certain desirableness attached to the color black that I think will really help Ka Lani out in this section."

End Confessional

* * *

"Meh." Victor snorted as Cassandra's confident pose became more of a glare. "2.7"

"What you talkin' about boy?" Chef held up the highest score yet of 8.2 "She's got a good color, and it's not flashy or nothing, it's hydrodynamic to help her swim, all she's really lacking in is posture."

"Yeah, I'm more in the middle of all of this." Chris announced. "6.7!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"6.7 is considered the middle?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Next up, representing Ka Malu O, it's Julia!" Chris announced as Julia walked onto the runway sporting a teal bra and skirt.

"Well?" She asked mimicking Lindsay's voice. "What do you guys think?"

Victor stared at Julia for a few moments before giving his answer.

"I think 2.5"

Julia's eyes widened.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Fuck that guy, this swimsuit is _cute_!" She continued mimicking Lindsay. "If he's such a fashion expert why doesn't _he_ come up here and show off _his_ swimming clothes?...Actually...ew maybe not."

End Confessional

* * *

Chef and Chris were decidedly more impressed with Julia's outfit, giving respective scores of 6.2 and 7.7

"And finally for the swimsuit competition…" Chris announced. "We have Dominique representing Honua!"

Dominique strutted out onto the runway in a solid black one-piece swimsuit.

Victor wasn't impressed in the slightest. "Get baby's first swimsuit out of here, 3.2"

Chef also didn't seem too impressed. "If I give ya a 4.3 will you take this challenge seriously?"

Chris on the other hand.

"It's... _beautiful_!"

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Chris can see his reflection from the sunlight shining on Dominique's swimsuit. Play to the judge's interests."

End Confessional

* * *

"Bravo!" Chris stood up. "9.4!"

"What?!" Julia growled in Heather's voice. "How is it that she gets a 9.4 when my outfit only gets a-"

"No comments from the models!' Chris interrupted Julia. "In any case, we now only have one round of fashion left!

* * *

 _Formal Wear Competition_

"Our first model, representing Ka Lani, is Clay!" Chris announced as Clay walked onto the runway in his formal clothing; a sleeveless black button-up shirt, black khaki shorts, and a pair of black loafers.

"Dude!" Victor stood up this time. "No joke, I go for the same kind of outfit! 9.9"

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"I'm glad for that 9.9 score and all, especially from Victor of all people, but that last tenth of a point wouldn't kill you, you know."

End Confessional

* * *

Chef and Chris didn't quite see what Victor saw in Clay's outfit, and assigned scores of 2.2 and 5.8 respectively.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre: Ka Malu O

"And I, the fantabulous spectacle Pierre, will now win this challenge single-handedly for Ka Malu O with my superious fashion!"

End Confessional

* * *

"And for Ka Malu O, we have Pierre!" Chris announced as Pierre walked out onto the runway confidently, striding towards the judges and striking a dramatic pose in his pearl white tux with a maroon vine motif swirling about on the left side along with a maroon tie over a maroon undershirt, leather pants on his legs, and black polished leather shoes on his feet.

"Feast your eyes on Pierre the magnificous!"

"I'll feast my eyes on _literally_ anything else!" Chris announced as he looked away and held up a 1.6

Chef did the same thing as he held up a 1.8

"And here I am just thinking the vines also need to be on the right side…" Victor said as he held up his 4.4 "And what can I say? You're too energetic in the suit, not someone I'd have the energy to talk to at a cocktail party, even with a few shots."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"You've _got_ to be joking. _That_ was the formal wear he brought with him? Like, it's not bad on its own, but I don't know, it's just weird to see _him_ in a suit."

End Confessional

* * *

"And finally, we have Lina representing Honua!" Chris announced as Lina walked out onto the runway. Her hair was done in double fish braids and she was dressed in a periwinkle blue dressed with a purple underside. The long sleeves of the dress flicked out to give the illusion of a mermaid's tail. The dress itself stopped at her midleg near her knees, where she was wearing transparent fishnet stockings, and blue flat heels on her feet.

Victor and Chef were both extremely impressed with the design and the effort, giving scores of 8.5 and 9.2 respectively. Chris, who couldn't see his reflection at all in Lina's formal dress, instead gave her a 4.2, what he deemed was another 'middle' score.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"I was doing the math. I know which team won already, and which team lost."

End Confessional

* * *

After the contestants had returned to their standard clothing, Chris gathered everyone in one place to announce the winners.

"In first place…" Chris smiled. "With a grand total of 51.4/90 points…

…

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… Is Honua!" Chris grinned as the five Honua cheered. "Four of those five Honua will get to enjoy watching the losing team's elimination, while the last one will be sent to Honeymoon along with a member from the second place team. So, who came in second? Well...with a total of 48.3/90 points…

Our runner up team is…

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… Ka Lani!" Chris announced as Ka Lani erupted into applause and Julia and Katrina glared at Pierre. "Ka Malu O," Chris continued speaking "With an abysmal score of 38.5/90 points, I'll be seeing the three of you at the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony ASAP. First though, Ka Lani, who are you sending from Honua to the Honeymoon Cabin?"

Ka Lani gathered and talked back and forth between each other before coming to a conclusion. "Zubin!" They announced.

"Honua?" Chris asked. "Whose going to join Zubin?"

Honua gathered together, and after awhile they came up with an answer of their own.

"Nixia!" They decided.

As Chef drove Zubin and Nixia away, Chris turned to the remaining Honua and Ka Malu O. "Well, let's all head up to the summit of Mt. Immolate!"

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Honua(Watching): Dominique, Galiris, Kevin, Lina_

 _Ka Malu O(Participating): Julia, Katrina, Pierre_

"Here we are again, Ka Malu O." Chris announced as Julia, Katrina, and Pierre sat down. "Do we all know who we want to vote for?"

"A little undecided actually." Katrina answered almost immediately. "We _could_ try and vote one of ourselves off to see who truly _is_ in control of this contest, _or_ we can all vote for each other and let miss Curse Tiki take the fall instead. She's here after all."

"You wouldn't!" Dominique stood up.

"Sit back down in the winners' bench, Dominique, and keep your comments to yourself." Chris responded. "The challenge is over and you'll be sent back to Kokoke after this ceremony."

"Provided she isn't eliminated." Julia clarified.

"Yeah, that too, whatever." Chris rolled his eyes. "Well, in my eyes, getting rid of any one of you three would be a blessing on my sanity, but the producer in me would hate to see any of you leave."

"That's fine with the rest of us." Lina suggested. "I'm sure two Ka Malu O can cause just as much chaos as one."

"We can still get rid of Dominique if we felt like it, you know." Julia mimicked Heather. "I suggest you be quiet little Honua and let the _real_ players play the game."

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"Oh, okay Julia, I see how it is! Well if it's a game you want to play, I'll bring it!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Chris, I'm ready to vote." Pierre offered. "It's clear to me who I'm voting for."

"It's clear to me who I'm voting for as well." Katrina announced.

"I also know my vote." Julia interjected before Chris could respond.

"Geez, then just freaking vote already!" Chris groaned. "Katrina, you're up first."

Katrina walked up the voting podium, wrote down Pierre's name, and spoke into the camera as she showed her vote. "Dominique, you're lucky I have a bigger fish to fry tonight. That's all."

After Katrina walked back, it was Pierre's turn to vote. He wrote down Katrina's name and showed it off to the camera.

"We had a good run, miss 187, but Julia and I will take Ka Malu O from here."

After Pierre came back, it was finally Julia's turn to vote.

"Hmmm…" She thought as she stood at the voting podium. "Man, this decision is important, I hope I make the right play here…Okay...okay Julia, get ahold of yourself! You came to this game to do things like this! No getting cold feet. Play the game you want to play it! Here goes, I vote for...this person!"

After Julia had written down the name of her target and returned, Chris left to tally the votes.

When he came back, he smiled at Dominique.

"Good news, Dominique, you're safe tonight. It was definitely one of the Ka Malu O who received the most votes here. As for the rest of you-" He turned to Ka Malu O. "I only have two leis in this bag. If I call your name, come up and receive a lei. You are safe for another day. If you do not receive the lei, you must immediately take the Hang Glide of Shame off the island, and you can't come back unless-*ach*oops sorry, something in my throat for a sec there! In any case…"

Kevin rolled his eyes.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"That tell is getting old."

End Confessional

* * *

"The first lei of the night goes to…Julia." Chris smiled as Julia happily skipped up to her lei and proudly wore it for all to see.

"Katrina, Pierre…" Chris frowned. "This _is_ the final lei of the evening…

And it goes to…

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. . . . . . . " Chris smiled. "Katrina."

"Holy crap!" Lina exclaimed as all of Honua stood up from their seats in the winners' bench.

"Ah," Pierre seemed to take this extremely well. "It would appear someone's been very naughty, betraying her ally like that." He stood up and walked towards Julia as Silivia coiled around his right arm.

"What can I say? I was placed on Ka Malu O for a reason, Pierre!" Julia mimicked Heather as she responded with a smile.

"Indeed you were, and I can admit being outmaneuvered by my naughty mimic partner. You do your best to make sure Ka Malu doesn't lose the next challenge so you both head into the merge, you understand? Oh, and there is one more thing I ought to give you before I leave."

"A tiki?!" Julia gasped.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Pierre shook his head before extending his left hand and lifting Julia's chin before placing a kiss on her lips, at first taking her by surprise, but after the shock, she embraced and returned it.

Katrina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Didn't you have to get on a Hang Glide of Shame or something?"

"That's entirely correct." Pierre nodded as he grabbed the Hang Glide of Shame and caught a breeze. "Stay fantabulous my darling teammates! I vow to see you both again soon!"

"And with that…" Chris said as Pierre flew out of sight, "This elimination draws to a close. The rest of you head back to your cabins. Early challenge tomorrow!"

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina_

"He was too accepting of the elimination." Katrina said as she and Julia returned to their cabin, the last two members of the once 8-person Ka Malu O team. "And you were too accepting of his kiss. Time on an island isn't enough time to-"

"Oh, you're just jealous that you didn't get one!"

"I am not! He just grossed me out is all, in a manner of speaking."

"Oh? Oh! Oh I get it, okay, but you're right on the other part. He did seem to take that elimination way too well. I don't get it. I know that even if I respected the other players for outmaneuvering me, I'd still be like, _super upset_ at being eliminated, especially right as the merge was approaching."

"Exactly." Katrina nodded. "It's going to take a lot of reading for me to get my thoughts away from that unique reaction."

"Maybe he's just weird like that?" Julia wondered.

"Don't say weird." Katrina joked. "Say straweidifferodd. You know, to honor the memory of the fallen or some other dramatic crap he'd spew."

"I hope you know that we have to try extra hard in the challenge tomorrow morning, no matter what it is right?" Julia asked as she and Katrina both got into their respective beds, Julia to sleep, Katrina to read to herself with a book lamp.

…

…

"Katrina?"

"I heard you. Shush, I'm reading my book. Go to sleep if you're so worried about the challenge tomorrow."

"R-right." Julia turned and began to doze off.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Dominique_

Dominique quietly snuck through the woods on Kokoke, looking high and low for something.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Honua

"So, I was briefed during the fashion show challenge, there's s'posed to be The Heaven Tiki here on this island, so I'm going around and looking to see if I can't find the sucker. Now, Honua wants to keep Ka Lani hands from touching the tiki, but here's the thing. I play the game for me, not my team, and while I'm not about to vote any Honua off, the way I see it is that if I get in good graces with Ka Lani by finding and handing over The Heaven Tiki, that's even more allies for _me_ when the merge gets here!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Dominique? You sure this is a good idea?" The intern holding the camera following her around asked. "What if we wake up a dangerous animal or something? Isn't there a panther on this island?"

"That's the main island." Dominique corrected."'Sides the most dangerous animal here is Victor, and he's snoring so loud in his tent that I don't think I'll be getting much sleep in my normal shelter. Might as well look for the tiki, now...it's the Heaven Tiki I'll bet it's...aha!"

Dominique rushed towards a cave as she walked into the center of the island. "If I can run around and up, I'll get to the top of this cave, it's the highest point I've come across, so…"

Dominique sprinted into the forest and after the intern behind the camera had a small panic attack, reappeared atop the cave, a giant grin on her face.

"Guess what I found!" She held up a tiki along with a note.

* * *

Confessional: Dominique: Honua

"This here is the Heaven Immunity Tiki, in all its glory. Now, this thing is useless to me, but in the hands of a capable player, like that Evan guy, he's been doing well in recent challenges, man imagine how powerful an ally he'd be for me!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Nixia, Zubin_

"So you claimed you had the Golden Tiki to Julia, right?" Zubin asked Nixia as they woke up in Honeymoon the next morning.

"Yeah…" Nixia yawned. "I told her that it was a free immunity to play after I'd been voted off to send the person with the next most votes home instead."

"I see, clever." Zubin nodded.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Perhaps a little too clever. If Julia bought it, it means that they won't be voting off Nixia anytime soon for fear of negative retaliation, and for that, she's jumped to the top of my list of Ka Lani to eliminate. I have no ill will towards her of course, but we're getting down to the nitty gritty of this game. There's only one challenge before the merge after all, and Honua needs to survive it. If at all possible, it'll be all five of our current members going into the merge, and then I can resume with my original strategy, replacing Lucy with Lina, since she's proven to be a worthwhile ally, and _her_ love interest is already gone."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia: Ka Lani

"Here I am in a cabin with Zubin, waiting for our final team challenge to start. It's pretty nerve-wracking, but I just _can't wait_ to see which of those Ka Malu O jerks is finally gone!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Y'all up and awake yet?" Chef asked as he swung open the door of Honeymoon Cabin. "It's time for your final team challenge!"

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Docks_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome, Ka Lani, Ka Malu O, Honua, to your _final_ team challenge!" Chris announced as the remaining contestants all gathered on the Nui Kaua Docks, near many different rowboats. "This challenge is...The Nui Kaua Regatta-!"

"Of Utter Chaos!" Galiris finished excitedly.

"No!" Chris exclaimed as Galiris gave a pout. "It's the Nui Kaua Regatta Flag Race! Participating contestants will get in their designated rowboat and row across the circumference of the lake, grabbing all the flags of their team's color, Gold for Ka Lani, Red for Ka Malu O, and Green for Honua, and arriving back here at the Nui Kaua Docks to win the final team immunity! The last place team will, of course, face Po'ino one last time before the merge! Any questions?"  
"Yes actually." Katrina rose a hand. "Participating contestants? Are some not required to participate?"

"Ah, yes, thank you Katrina, I nearly forgot. Participation in this challenge is _entirely_ optional. If you choose to sit out, you will get a clue to a Twist Tiki, specifically The Chris Tiki! You can use that sucker to practice any challenge you want for as long as you want before the challenge starts! All you have to do is play it and say you want to practice the next challenge. Chef will bring you to a secluded area on the mainland where you can practice in peace."

"I'm sitting out then." Katrina decided.

"WHAT?!" Julia shrieked. "You mean I have to do that entire challenge _myself_?"

"As it happens, we do have a skull boat for this kind of occasion." Chris announced.

"That's not the point, the point is that I thought you were listening to me last night!"

"I _was_ listening!" Katrina snapped back. "But there's no way I have the leg muscles required to contribute anything meaningful to rowing a crew boat! I'm sitting this out for your own good! I thought by now you'd understand that!"

"I'm sitting out too." Kevin rose his hand.

"Oh, Kevin…" Lina pouted. "Not again…"

"We don't want Katrina to get that tiki do we?" Kevin asked.

"Besides, remember how much trouble he had with the couch in the D&D challenge?" Zubin was quick to come to Kevin's aid. "He may not be the best choice for a crew team either."

"Yeah, none of us are going to sit out Chris." Clay told Chris after Ka Lani had a moment to talk to each other. "We put a strong value on trust over here."

"Alright then, let's get everyone in their boats and we'll start the regatta!" Chris exclaimed.

* * *

 _Challenge: Regatta Relay_

 _Rules: Participating contestants will row crewboats around the circumference of Lake Nui Kaua, picking up flags of their team's color along the way. The first team back with all their flags wins immunity and the right to watch the final team Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, while the last team back will vote off one last teammate before the merge._

 _Ka Lani Boat:_

 _Cochsand: Cassandra_

 _Stern Seat: Evan_

 _Middle Seat: Nixia_

 _Bow Seat: Clay_

 _Ka Malu O Boat:_

 _Julia_

 _Honua Boat:_

 _Cochsand: Galiris_

 _Stern Seat: Zubin_

 _Middle Seat: Lina_

 _Bow Seat: Dominique_

* * *

 _Location: Lake Nui Kaua_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Dominique, Evan, Galiris, Julia, Lina, Nixia, Zubin_

"All contestant's ready…?" Chris asked rhetorically as everyone participating got in their boats. "Um, I can't see where I'm going?" Julia rose a quick hand.

"Unfortunately for you, the teammate who _could_ have been a cochsand for you decided to bail on the challenge, so you'll have to make do with what you have." Chris replied.

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"Argh! Katrina why?!"

End Confessional

* * *

"And...Go!" Chris announced as the three boats took off at varying speeds.

"Now this is a surprise!" Chris announced from a helicopter circling the island. "The team in the lead is Ka Malu O! Julia is already approaching her first flag!"

"Fast! Row Fast!" Julia grunted to herself as she rowed her boat forwards, past the first of five red flag's she would need to get. As she leaned over to reach it, Honua's boat reached the area where the first flags were as well.

"Slow the boat!" Galiris announced as she stuck out a hand towards the flag, grabbed it, and rose back up. "Alright, now larger strokes, let's speed this boat up!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina: Honua

"This really is a challenge custom made for Galiris, so Honua's not in like, _any_ danger. I mean, there's Dominique I guess, but as long as Ka Lani loses, they don't know about her condition so even if she's not sent to Honeymoon, we've got nothing to worry about!"

End Confessioal

* * *

"And Honua is rushing through this challenge!" Chris announced as he noticed the Honua boat overtake Julia while Ka Lani still struggled to operate their boat towards their first flag.

"That's their second flag already!"

"Come on Ka Lani!" Cassandra called from her own cochsand seat. "We need to catch up! Stroke! Stroke!"

"I can't keep stroking, Nixia's going too slowly!" Clay shouted up.

"I'm not the one going to slowly, you're trying to go too fast! Do it like me and Evan! Slow and powerful strokes carry the boat further!"

"I know that, but slow powerful strokes only work if you row fast enough to call them strokes!"

"Ohmygod, both of you stop your bickering!" Cassandra yelled. "Nixia, speed up your strokes so that Clay, our anchor, isn't stuck."

"Wha-? You're taking his side just like that?"

"If Clay's the only one with a problem maybe he should be the one to change." Evan suggested.

"Look guys, I'm in the cochsand seat, I can see what's going on. Clay's fine." Cassandra responded.

"Ka Lani having a quarrel before their even done with the first leg of the race!" Chris announced as he hovered over them. "Meanwhile, Honua is _dominating_ this challenge, having just grabbed their third flag!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Wooo! Finally a challenge puttin' us in boats! Look at Honua go! Full speed ahead, next stop the merge for all of us!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin: Honua

"Looking at us now, you wouldn't believe we were once the shrimp team who couldn't win a challenge, would you? It's amazing how this game can pull 180s like that."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gahhh!" Julia groaned as she rowed her boat into a rock near the coastline of the lake. "How do I turn this thing?"

"Julia having a bit of trouble needing to turn for the first time in the challenge!" Chris announced. "Ka Lani is finally managing to gain ground on their first flag, though they still seem like a bickering mess!"

"Your oar keeps hitting mine, Clay!" Nixia complained.

"Well, stroke in time with the cues then!" Clay snapped back.

"Meanwhile," Chris announced "Honua already is far ahead of either team, having just gotten their fourth out of fifth flag!"

"Wow…." Lina looked around as Galiris allowed Honua a momentary rest so their muscles didn't sprain. "I can't see _either_ of the other boats."

"Nice job with the directions, Gal." Zubin gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks, but I should be complimenting you guys for being so good at following them!" Galiris smiled at her teammates in the boat.

"Guys, guys!" Cassandra back at the Ka Lani boat shouted. "Slow the boat down, we're coming up on the first flag!" She quickly grabbed the Ka Lani flag. "Now we might be able to catch up to Julia! She'll have trouble turning and we can still get through this challenge!"

As Cassandra dropped the flag in the boat, Evan noticed the parcel at the bottom of the flag's pole.

"Hm…" He quickly picked up the parcel and pocketed it as he leaned forwards to stroke his oar.

* * *

Confessional: Evan: Ka Lani

"It appears that this...is a gift from Dominique?" Evan read a small rather tattered letter in his left hand while he held The Heaven Tiki in his other hand. "She apparently found the Heaven Tiki on Kokoke for me. I'll be sure to repay her in some way when we both make it to the merge, but for now I suppose my thanks in a confessional will have to do."

End Confessional

* * *

"It looks like Ka Lani is finally starting to get their act together!" Chris announced as Ka Lani seemed to have finally found a rhythm everyone could agree on. "They're neck and neck with Julia now, both obtaining their second flags as I speak! Meanwhile, Honua is nearing their fifth and final flag before the finish line!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"What? How are they already there?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris: Honua

"Ah, the lake ain't no ocean, but it's so nice to be on the water again!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Passageway_

 _Contestant(s): Katrina, Kevin_

While the challenge was taking place on Lake Nui Kaua, both Katrina and Kevin had traced the clue for The Chris Tiki back to the passageway in Mt. Immolate.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin: Honua

"Katrina can't find the tiki first. She's Ka Malu O, and therefore too much of a threat."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina: Ka Malu O

"If that autistic dweeb thinks he can find my tiki before me, he's got another thing coming. Thanks to Maddie, one of my tikis has already been wasted, but I intend to make full use out of this one."

End Confessional

* * *

Katrina and Kevin were both searching frantically in the volcano's passageway, lifting up rocks and digging small holes everywhere, even making the occasional dangerous trip closer towards the ravine leading to the volcano's magma.

Eventually however…

"Yes…" One of them mumbled as they uncovered a small parcel buried near some decidedly charred rocks.

They looked to the camera the intern following them was holding.

"I found it." Katrina gave a proud grin. "Now to ditch that brat without making any noise."

* * *

 _Location: Lake Nui Kaua_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Dominique, Evan, Galiris, Julia, Lina, Nixia, Zubin_

Meanwhile, back at the challenge, Honua had just grabbed their final flag. "Honua has all five flags!" Chris announced. "They only need to row across the finish line now and they'll be practically guaranteed spots in the merge!"

"Alright Honua!" Galiris shouted from her cochsand seat. "Do we want a merge party or don't we? Let's do a power 10! That's 10 strokes as powerful as your legs can muster!"

"Woo!" Dominique cheered the rowers' response.

"Alright then! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!"

"And Honua crosses the finish line!" Chris announced from his helicopter. "Honua wins the final team challenge!"

"Already?!" Julia asked as she managed to grab her 3rd flag.

She looked at noticed Ka Lani gaining ground on her, then looked backwards, and saw both her fourth and fifth flags in the distance.

"Okay, if I don't have to turn then...Here I go!"

"Nixia, it might be a little much to ask, but can't you get any animals to help us here?" Cassandra asked as Ka Lani reached their own third flag while Julia sped straight towards her fourth.

"I've been trying this whole time, but they're all too afraid of the octopus in heat! Meanwhile, the octopus isn't helping at all _because_ it's in heat and its hormones are running wild."

"Well that's fan-frickin'-tastic." Cassandra groaned. "Alright then, let's just try to catch up the old fashioned way! Stroke! Stroke!"

As Ka Lani reached their fourth flag, Julia reached her fifth, and when Ka Lani managed to reach their fifth and final flag, Julia was busy turning.

"Now's our chance guys!" Cassandra shouted. "She has trouble turning, so we can finally overtake her!"

"Let's do this!" Clay shouted back.

"Woo!" Both Evan and Nixia shouted in agreement.

"Alright, let's get ourselves to the merge!" Cassandra smiled. "Stroke! Stroke!"

"Argh, no!" Julia shouted as she noticed the Ka Lani boat gaining on her. "I'm not going to let Ka Lani win this! Come on Julia, you can do this! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!"

"And it's Ka Lani and Julia neck and neck as they approach Honua waiting at the finish line!" Chris announced.

"The second place boat belongs to…

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… Juia and Ka Malu O!" Chris shouted as Julia managed to cross the finish line only just barely before Ka Lani could, thanks to her boat's smaller size. "Honua, Ka Lani, come with me to Po'ino for the final elimination ceremony before the merge! You better make this one count guys!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia: Ka Malu O

"YES!" Julia yells ecstatically as she jumps in celebration. "I DID IT! I just _single-handedly_ carried me and my ungrateful teammate straight into the merge! Now all that's left is smooth sailing into the final two!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s):_

 _Honua(Watching): Dominique, Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

 _Ka Lani(Participating): Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Nixia_

"Ka Lani...I gotta say, I honestly thought I wouldn't see you guys here again so soon." Chris shrugged. "This challenge was built on the foundation of teamwork, the thing you should all value, so why was your team the least cooperative one?"

"Well Chris, we don't have some freakin' sea-child on our team for one thing." Evan noted as he pointed to Galiris on the winners' bench. "And none of us really knew how to row to begin with either."

"You seem pretty calm for someone at a Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, Evan." Chris grinned.

"The reason I'm calm is because I know I won't be the one going home tonight."

"So I take it there _has_ been talk back at the Ka Lani camp about how to vote now that your alliance is all that remains on your team?"

"Well, yes, there's that." Clay nodded. "However, I'm fairly confident that I'm not going home tonight either."

"I'm also pretty sure I'll be staying in this game as well." Cassandra nodded.

"Nixia?" Chris turned to Nixia. "You've been in two tiebreakers already, and you were Stephanie's target the last time you were here. I'm sure you must feel at least a _little_ nervous, right?"

"Of course I feel a little nervous, Chris." Nixia shrugged. "I'm nervous because I don't know what surprises the merge holds for me, but I still can't wait to find out."

"Now this is an interesting ceremony." Chris grinned. "All four of you seem to truly believe with all your hearts, that no matter who it is going home tonight, it's not you."

"There's a specific reason for it, Chris." Cassandra smiled as she, Clay, and Nixia looked at Evan.

"Evan, everyone's staring you down so intently, you sure you're safe man?" Chris asked.

"I'm positive I'm safe." Evan stood up. "In fact…"

He took the Dove Tiki out of his pocket. "I'm positive _all_ of Ka Lani is safe. This is the Dove Tiki. only a member of Ka Lani can play it. It's effect grants all original members of Ka Lani immunity. So there you have it Chris. Ka Lani might not have won team immunity, but that's because we _already had it_."

"Oh...crap." Zubin and Galiris exchanged concerned looks with each other, as did Kevin and Lina.

"This _is_ The Dove Tiki" Chris announced after looking over the tiki that Evan handed to him. "As such, no Ka Lani will be facing elimination tonight."

"Looks like we merge without an elimination then." Evan smiled along with his three teammates.

"I said no _Ka Lani_ will be facing elimination tonight." Chris smirked. "But there is _one_ person here who still has a vote cast against them."

"No…" Dominique's eyes widened as Chris turned to look at her. "No fuckin' way! That's some messed up shit! That ain't fair at all!" She turned to Evan. "You take back that Dove Tiki right now or-!"

"Wait, I don't understand, what's going on?" Cassandra wondered. "Dominique's on Honua, so doesn't she have team immunity?"

"The Curse Tiki's vote overrides team immunity." Kevin explained.

"Dominique, I'm sorry, but as the only one here with a single vote cast against them, you've been eliminated." Chris gave a solemn nod to Dominique. "I'm going to ask that you immediately board the Hang Glide of Shame and fly off of the island, where you can't come back. Ever. But first...there's one last thing you need to do. I think you know what it is."

"I curse Evan!" Dominique spat in anger. "You get me eliminated, let's see how you like being freaking cursed! I hope saving your team was worth it because now you won't get to see them at all outside of challenges and Po'ino! Fuck y'all for forcing me out of the game like this!"

* * *

Confessional: Clay: Ka Lani

"Her Ka Malu O is showing. She's getting way to angry over something none of us were even aware of. Granted we'd play The Dove Tiki here anyways, but we had no clue she'd be eliminated. We thought we'd just merge with one more person."

End Confessional

* * *

"Evan…" Nixia frowned as Dominique said her goodbyes to Honua, and left the island in sour mood.

"I'll be fine." Evan assured Nixia after a kiss. "I've lived in worse conditions than Kokoke before."

"We'll miss you on the mainland bro." Clay said before the two shared a hug.

"Thanks for playing The Dove Tiki when you did." Cassandra joined in on the hug, as did Nixia. "We're allies to the end of this game, alright?"

"Right." Evan nodded.

"Alright Survivalist, time to go." Chef placed a hand on Evan's shoulder, and the two headed down the mountain.

"And that's a wrap on the team section of the challenge!" Chris announced to the camera. "What awaits our campers as they head into the big merge? Stay tuned to find out on Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Dominique's Final Confessional

"That is some complete freaking grade-A BS right there, let me tell you! I fought tooth and nail for weeks while I was cursed on that island with barely anyone to talk to, and just when I think I'm getting a good hold in my competition, Evan had to go and screw everything up! I'm hoping my Honua girls pull through for me! I'd love to see Gal and Lina in the final two, but as long as it's neither Ka Malu O nor that dumbass Evan, I'll be...well happy isn't the right word, 'cause I deserved to freakin' win this! Kick their asses Honua! Kick their asses!"

End Confessional*

* * *

Bonus Scene

 _Location: Lake Nui Kaua_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre?_

As Chef ferries Pierre across the water, towards the island, Silivia is slithering around his arms as he holds up his Golden Tiki to the camera.

"You know, this team phase of the competition was only an opening act. The true spectacle…

the one where I,

Pierre the magnificous,

will dominate this gametition,

has only!

Just!

Begun!" He laughs as the camera cuts out, and after a small amount of silence, Pierre utters one last sentence.

"Teams can't save them now."

* * *

 _ **AN: So, we've finally arrived at the merge! Woo! As such, here is my important question for you guys:**_

 _ **Who do you think are some of Total Drama Nui Kaua's biggest heroes?**_

 _ **What about the biggest villains?**_

 _ **Who are your favorite characters so far?**_

 _ **Which of the true final 11 are you rooting for?(this has no bearing on the story, just a poll I want to conduct)**_

 _ **Please let me know, and thanks for reading!**_


	20. Ep 12: Merger on The Coal Bed

_Chris's Recap:_

"For the past few weeks, 24 campers have been put to the test in competing for a grand prize of 1 million dollars right here on Total Drama Nui Kaua! Now, 11 are all that remain!

Cassandra, The Punk Rocker, a girl who hasn't been afraid to speak her mind, but thanks to her majority alliance on Ka Lani, also hasn't had much time to get a major foothold in the game.

Clay, The Lone Wolf, who despite preferring solitude has managed to develop friendships with both Cassandra and Evan, and how has stalwartly protected his Legacy Tiki from thieving hands as he aims for the penultimate challenge.

Evan, The Human Animal Survivalist, who has been a regular challenge beast for Ka Lani, and most notably recently guaranteed the current Ka Lani 4 a spot in the merge, but in doing so, accidentally incurred the wrath of an eliminated contestant, forcing him to take possession of The Curse Tiki, so now Evan will be stuck on Kokoke Island for the remainder of his time in the game, though he also has The Heaven Tiki in his pocket, truly making him this game's current dark horse.

Galiris, The Sailor Girl, who shortly after arriving proclaimed herself the captain of her team of Honua, and led the team on a rollercoaster ride of back to back losses followed by back to back victories, though how much control she really has over her team is anyone's guess.

Julia, The Silly Mimic, who after making a double-alliance with both Katrina and Pierre, elected to blindside Pierre, unaware of his possession of the Golden Tiki, and his soon to occur return to the competition. She's weaseled her way through many a challenge with her ventriloquism and will likely continue to make use of her talents in the merge.

Katrina, The Arrogant Braniac, who, after almost being voted off on week 1, has continued to evade the dreaded Hang Glide of Shame, even when she hasn't participated in half the challenges! She's entering the merge in possession of The Chris Tiki, which will let her practice whichever challenge is next when she plays it for as long as she likes, and in the hands of a girl like Katrina, that tiki is a powerful weapon.

Kevin, The Autistic Boy, ruffled plenty of feathers in the early game by sitting out a challenge to receive The Earth Tiki, which he then had to play at a Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony that very same day. Since then though, he's became a major strategical mind among the Honua alliance, and is determined to make it to the end without voting off any of his friends.

Lina, The Whisperer, who was surprised when her best friend showed up on the island on an opposing team, and after she found a love interest in one of her own teammates, she and her friend got into a giant spat that never truly resolved itself. She's had plenty of time to readjust to focus on the game though, and the merge will reveal just where her mind is currently at.

Nixia, The Nature Lover, who has gained the support of not only her love interest, Evan, but also nearly every animal living on or near the island! She's almost left this competition many a time, but as Nui Kaua's current queen of the tiebreaker, Nixia has managed to remain in the game, and will no doubt show a more competitive side now that the merge is upon us.

Pierre, The Fabulous Spectacle, who has spent the majority of his time on the island trying to sabotage challenges, steal other contestants' tikis(most notably Clay's), and finding a tiki of his own, The Golden Tiki, which has allowed him to return to the game at the merge after being blindsided by Julia, his former ally. Now that he and his snake, Silivia, are back, they are more than ready to stir the pot and cause some chaos.

And last but not least, Zubin, The Nice Guy Strategist, who orchestrated a majority Honua alliance and kept them strong even through Honua's losing streak. However, since a quiz show caused the elimination of one of his closest allies, and he spent some extended periods of time in Honeymoon, Zubin has begun to notice cracks in the alliance of his creation, and now that the merge is here, he must address those cracks as quickly as possible before they collapse on top of him.

These 11 players have proven themselves worthy of the merge, but only 10 will remain after we're through with them this week! Reunions! Revenge! A Really Painful Challenge! This Merge has it all right here...on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Entertainment Bonfire Pit(Merge Party)_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Chris...it's a little early for this, don't ya think?" Cassandra yawned as she, Clay, and Nixia all walked out of the Ka Lani Cabin.

"Oh, don't you worry, Cassandra!" Chris exclaimed as he talked into one of a few microphones he had set up. "When we're through here, you're going to be glad it was in the early morning as the sun was rising. After all, you wouldn't want your first _merge_ elimination ceremony to be immediately after the immunity challenge would you? Where's the fun in heading straight to Po'ino and not getting the chance to run around and talk to your new roommates?"

"Oh, I see." Clay realized. "You're tearing down the cabins so you can get a merge campsite set up."

"Correctamundo!" Chris nodded and pointed at Clay. "It wouldn't be much of a merge if you guys still lived separated by team, now would it?"

"What's this about being separated by team?" Julia asked as she and a lagging Katrina joined the three Ka Malu O and Chris.

"Oh, Julia, Katrina, glad you could make it!" Chris smiled. "You ladies will likely no longer be sharing a room."

"Really?!" They both asked, each almost ecstatic at the idea of not having to share her room with the other one.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I mean, sure, Julia served a purpose, and still does, but any time away from her is time I'll likely enjoy. Besides, we're here at the merge now, and I'll bet that most of the other contestants realize how powerful my vote is as a swing, especially at this moment. It shouldn't take much more effort at all really, I can already smell the million."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Eeeeeee! Final 10 baby! And to think I made it this far...*sighs contently* For all my haters and downers out there, I got one thing to say." She proceeds to raise two middle fingers up and waves them around as the post-production blur tries desperately to follow them and keep up. "Fuck you, oh fuck you~ Katrina's starting to rub off on me!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"I can hardly believe I'm here at the merge! Not only that though, so is Clay, so is Nixia, and so is Evan! We only need one last person and we'll control half the votes! Nixia's been great at tiebreakers too, so we might be able to pull this off if we can divide the other alliances amongst each other!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"So this is it, huh? The merge of Total Drama Nui Kaua. Part of me wonders if those microphones Chris is setting up are part of the challenge or for something else, like a celebration of sorts. But something keeps bugging me...He hasn't congratulated the final 10 yet. There's only 10 of us here though. I don't know, maybe it's that druid character from the D&D challenge rubbing off on me a bit, but I'm getting a bad feeling from the island today. Something tells me the merge may not be as big a celebration for me as I'd like it to be."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Nixia

"Okay, whew! Final 10! We're almost to the end now! I can do it, with some help from my animal friends of course!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Where on earth are the contestants from Honua's cabin?!" Chris exclaimed his question, looking around impatiently. "Our guests can't come on until everyone's here!"

"Yoohoo~!" Galiris called as she led Kevin, Zubin, and Lina down the beach towards the bonfire. "Sorry we're a little late, we were just having one last Team Honua breakfast social!"

"I wouldn't stay too attached to your teams anymore, Galiris." Chris responded. "Because as of right now, they are all officially dissolved! Welcome Final 11...To the Nui Kaua Merge!"

"Final...11?" Kevin questioned. "Counting Evan, there's only 10 of us."

"Oh, Evan and our returning player are arriving right now in the SS Chef!" Chris motioned out into the lake.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"Alright, here we are at the merge! I'll do my best to keep Honua strong and healthy all throughout, but now's the time for the return of captain hardass! I see one of my own doing something that doesn't sit well with me, I won't hesitate to throw them overboard! The merge is where the risk of mutiny is highest!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Well, it wasn't necessarily the four Honua I would have preferred to bring to the merge, but we are still here. Now the test is less about if we can last, and more about if I've cemented enough trust with Clay to pull in voting numbers. The game is only going to get harder from here, but if I didn't think I could pull it off, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place. Here goes nothing! Bring on the merge!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Okayokayokayokay, I, like, was _not_ expecting to get this far, you feel me? I'm a huge fan of this show! I love it so much, but I was definitely sure I would be voted out during our Honua losing streak. But now here I am at the final 11? Chris mentioned a returning player. I hope it's Kaleaf! But honestly, I don't really care who it is as long as it isn't Deamian. It'd be too awkward for me to see him again right now…"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I'm at the merge. It's kind of scary. At least Gal and Zubin and Lina are with me. I hope we can pull this off. Now it looks like we have to deal with _him_ again though."

End Confessional

* * *

As Chris points out into the lake, the contestants all turn to look, where they see Chef, Evan, and Pierre and Silivia all heading directly towards the docks.

"Increditastabulous, is it not?" Pierre gave grand gestures as he shouted to the other contestants. "The audience ought to applaud my tremendous disappearance act!"

"I think we all would've preferred it if you'd stayed disappeared." Evan mumbled as his hand tightened on the Heaven Tiki in his pocket.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ah, it is so nice to be back. One of the three great powers this Golden Tiki affords me is that if I'm blindsided before the merge, I may return to the game. Julia unwittingly propelled me straight to the merge at Ka Malu O's last elimination ceremony. However, there are still two glorious diabolovely traits that The Golden Tiki affords me and Silivia, both of which we can also thank our dear Julia for." Pierre strokes Silivia as she slithers around his shoulder. "That pretty mimic is certainly our better third."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"A run through of the basic facts are all I need, so I don't mind living on Kokoke. As far as I'm concerned, it's no different than how I live with my sister back home. The facts to remember are this for me:

1\. Pierre is back, and likely still has the Golden Tiki

2\. I am in possession of both the Curse Tiki and the Heaven Tiki

3\. Ka Lani is four strong in a merge of 11. We need at least 2 votes to hold a majority, and since I'm cursed, we can't afford to split them.

4\. I am a physical threat, or at least have appeared as such recently. This must be rectified as soon as possible.

5\. I will only have the opportunity to interact with my friends and allies during challenges.

6\. The only one I can trust with 100% certainty in these merge challenges is myself.

There we go. All six major facts. Now all that's left is to let the survivalist in me take me to the finale! Awooo!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Now that everyone is finally here…" Chris said as Pierre received death glares from most of the competition. "We can finally, truly, celebrate the merge! Welcome Final 11!"

"Wooo!" Everyone took a break from staring at each other to cheer the merge happening.

"In order to mark this historic event in your otherwise dull teen lives, I've pulled some strings and got three of last season's biggest players to come by and perform for you. Who knows? Maybe their song will give you an idea for how to approach the merge of this game! Without further ado, Total Drama is proud to present, from Total Drama Zero Sum, in alphabetical order, Carys Leville, Hubert Swanson, and Kaede Tsurumi!"

Cheers came from the final 11 as an ATV rolled up, driven by a boy with satin blonde hair in a zipperless blue hoodie, wearing square black-framed glasses. A tall woman in a black tank top and jeans was sitting in the passenger's seat, her dark brown hair blowing behind her as the vehicle drove forwards. Finally, in the back, holding onto the driver and passengers' shoulders for support, was a girl with long dark blue hair, wearing a traditional japanese kimono.

"Ahem." Chris handed the microphone he had been talking into to Hubert, the boy, as Carys and Kaede both headed towards the other microphone stands that had been set up.

"How's it goin' Victor?" Hubert asked into the microphone as he looked over at Victor, near some amplifiers and an electronic keyboard. "Community service treating you well?"

"Shut it, Sherlock." Victor grumbled as he fiddled around with the musical equipment.

"Um...Hi everyone…" Kaede spoke into her own microphone. "We've been invited to sing a song for you so...well here we are."

Carys peered out into her audience and gave a frown.

"They merge at 11 and don't have to live in incomplete campsites? Talk about setting the game to easy mode."

"Now hold on, there's still exile on Kokoke Island! Plus exile in Honeymoon Cabin, and a whole bunch of twist tikis that you guys never had to deal with!" Julia called back.

"Oh, those things?" Hubert asked as his lips curved into a smirk. "I've been watching this season, and I have to say, they _really_ aren't necessary."

"Yes!" Galiris pointed. "I knew that they weren't-"

"No, I don't mean that they're unfair or that you can win without making use of them, I mean they take away the best part of this game...the intrigue. Unless I see tikis being offered as payment for votes to sway the game, then anyone who currently has a tiki also has a tiki-sized target right there on their back. Let's not bore me with the merge okay?"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Maybe it's been a while, but that arrogance from Hubert is way stronger than it felt when I was watching him on TV back in spring. I bet he and Katrina would be fast friends."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Hubert, while perhaps more cutting than he needed to be, makes a good point. No one uses these tikis unless it's to save their hide from elimination, but Chris only ever said that we couldn't burn or throw away twist tikis. There's nothing to stop us from using our own tikis, or out own _fake_ tikis, as leverage for votes by selling them to other contestants."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, the equipment's all ready." Victor stated as he looked up at Kaede, the closest one to him.

"Thank you." She nodded back before addressing the crowd again.

"Um, sorry about Carys and Hubert's remarks. They aren't really here for Chris. They just happened to be visiting me while I was invited and got roped into it. Please don't hold it against them."

"Look what you did!" Carys nudged Hubert in the arm. "Making Kaede apologize for you!"

"You're the one who insulted the game in the first place!"

Carys and Hubert glared at each other before beginning to laugh, unable to keep the stares going.

"Are you three ready?" Chris asked with a smug smile.

The three looked at each other and then nodded.

"Yes!" They all responded.

"We'll be singing an english version, and a total drama themed version, of one of Kaede's favorite songs." Carys explained. "We hope you enjoy it."

"Victor…" Chris turned to face Victor. "Hit it."

As Victor pressed a button, and the instrumental of "Strike Back" by Back On began to play.

"Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohh," Kaede began to sing. "Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohh, Woah-oh-ohh-ohh-oh-ohh, Woah-oh-ohh-"

"Strike Back..." Carys whispered into her mic.

"Your odds are slim," Kaede began to sing once more.

Players are thin, cavin' in,

But there might still be victory

In just one mere changing of a vote

There's possibility!"

"I won't sit back and accept the votes we are dealt" Carys sang

"A fate determined by someone else.

There's still a finale I see,

One I hope you'll share with me!"

"Bring it on!" Hubert began to rap as the music changed.

"'Cuz I'm just gonna make my own immunity!

Out-thinkin' the contest, at each Po'ino fire

And for our future I am fighting!

I gotta drown this nightmare

And ain't no tiki gonna stop me!

Forget the past, 'cause the action's in the present.

I ain't scared of my past - and now in fact

Forever, I'm fighting hard for the prize!"

"Now I never wanna see you hurt," Carys sang.

"I will be screaming 'till you learn the way!"

"I won't get voted out," Hubert rapped.

"I'll keep on outwitting, it is my destiny!"

"And I gotta keep my smile, right?" Kaede sang.

I'll give my everything to win, today!"

"I gotta turn back the votes for you and me" Hubert rapped.

"So that we reach the finale in peace!"

"Now I'll strike baaaaack!" Carys sang as the chorus ended and the second verse began.

"Inside my mind, I'm breaking down one more time" Kaede sang.

"With all the betrayals I hear.

I don't care if I'm left solo,

I will fight, even in fear."

"Today this game will continue on" Carys sang.

"I'll do all I can to not wear myself down because

I still see a victory,

One I hope you'll share with me!"

"Yeah, fight head to toe 'till daybreak!" Hubert rapped.

"Players, vote them all out!

Don't you ever stop!

We only have today, right?  
If there's an ace, we want it in that hole now!

This is the time to keep your game going strong, misery

Struggle

Sorrows

They'll disappear those trouble,

But Po'ino can't extinguish your own eternal candles,

So keep fighting hard for that prize!"

"Desire burning in my heart" Kaede sang.

"I will light it up and carve my way!"

"Nothing's sacred at Po'ino's fire!" Hubert rapped.

"Immunity!

You fight your hardest for that single safe seat!"

"You don't have time to hesitate!" Carys sang

"Or you'll be voted out, and lose the game!"

"Use more than eyes!" Hubert rapped. "Though you've lost the challenge,

Not gonna lie, the vote can still be a surprise!"

"So take my haaa-a-a-a-a-and-" Carys and Kaede sang together before Hubert took over as the music began to rise.

"Hey, what are you playin' for?" He asked.

"I play

For

This

Shit!" The other two then joined in as the base dropped.

"We gotta stand up and go with our guts,

As the sun rises way over the clouds!

We gotta stand up and go with our guts,

As the sun rises way over the clouds!"

"Time to strike back" Kaede whispered into the microphone

"Now I never wanna see you hurt," Carys sang.

"I will be screaming 'till you learn the way!"

"I won't get voted out," Hubert rapped.

"I'll keep on outwitting, it is my destiny!"

"Desire burning in my heart" Kaede sang.

"I will light it up and carve my way!"

"Nothing's sacred at Po'ino's fire!" Hubert rapped.

"Immunity!

You fight your hardest for that single safe seat!"

"You don't have time to hesitate!" Carys sang

"Or you'll be voted out, and lose the game!"

"Use more than eyes!" Hubert rapped. "Though you've lost the challenge,

Not gonna lie, the vote can still be a surprise-"

"So take my haaaaand!" Both Carys and Kaede finished off as they rose their hands towards the crowd of the Final 11 while the music came to a conclusion.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Woooow! That was amazing! Now I'm really pumped up and ready to give it my all...Let's just hope these challenge beasts like Gal, Evan, and a trying Katrina aren't as pumped as I am…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Thank you, Carys, Hubert, Kaede." Chris grinned as he waved the guests away. "Your job here is done. Onto the rest of you! Final 11, follow me to your merge challenge! It'll be a short one, I think, but that's because the _real_ challenge today is figuring out who you can _really_ trust!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"A short challenge today huh? I guess Chris really wants us to start interacting with the other teams on a more personal level, or should I say players, now that the teams are dissolved?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kahakai Beach_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"What the hell is this place? It's so out of the way!" Katrina exclaimed as the contestants all convened where Chris was standing in front of an overgrown entrance to Nahele Forest.

"This is Kahakai Beach." Chris announced. "It's much smaller than the main Nui Kaua Beach where the Ka Lani cabin was located. This part of the island has decidedly more wildlife-"

As Chris said the word, a panther rushed through the tropical trees behind him.

"Like that panther!" He exclaimed happily. "Her den is close by this area, and it's an excellent hunting ground that Isaac and Victor checked out last season, right Victor?"

"I hate this place." Victor muttered.

"But even with all that exposition, it doesn't matter for today's challenge!" Chris smiled as he motioned to a large bed of hot coals off towards the shore of the island.

"Your challenge today is perhaps the simplest, but most _painful_ one yet! You're all going to endure standing on this bed of hot coals for as long as you possibly can! Evan, the challenge has officially started, feel free to talk!"

"What the heck are you doing back?" He immediately asked Pierre.

"Ah, that!" Pierre grinned. "I suppose there is no longer a point in hiding it now that it's purpose has been fulfilled."

Pierre took out the Golden Tiki and tossed it in his hands. "This here is the Golden Tiki! It was I who obtained Nui Kaua's holy grail of items, and as such, it was I who was slated to return at the merge. I owe it all to Julia's blindside. If I had made it to the merge without getting voted off, I'd have lost most of this tiki's power!"

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"I'm not sure how much of what he just said about the Golden Tiki is true, but I'm willing to wager that none of it is."

End Confessional

* * *

"But, you'll be vulnerable tonight if you don't win right?" Kevin crossed his arms in thought. "What's to stop us all from voting you right back out?"

"Ah, well, this tiki happens to double as a personal immunity tiki that I may play after being voted off!" Pierre exclaimed.

"Wait...I guessed _right_?" Nixia gasped.

"That's not what you told me it did in Honeymoon." Galiris pointed. "You're just filling our heads with lies about what it does to disguise the fact that you really are vulnerable!"

"If I was vulnerable, I wouldn't be as splendiferously confident as I am now, you know!" Pierre laughed.

"There _is_ one twist to this specific immunity challenge though." Chris announced as he brought the topic back around to the challenge at hand. "It will be used to determine the housing arrangements for your _new_ Merge Cabin!"

"Don't tell me they're co-ed…" Katrina sighed.

"Nope! Rooms are same-sex, but your roommate depends entirely on how well you do in the challenge."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"This is actually a really good thing for me. Evan is going back to Kokoke no matter what happens thanks to his Curse Tiki, which leaves Clay, Kevin, and Pierre as potential roommates. I've been trying to build a good amount of trust with Clay, I could really use some time alone with Kevin to keep him from getting too attached to either Gal or Lina, and Pierre just revealed his Golden Tiki, which means I might be able to use his own tactics against him. So it doesn't matter to me who I pair up with, I'll have a plan of attack all ready."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Honestly, as long as I'll finally get a break from Julia's incessant jabbering, I don't see how I can lose….well, I think maybe I wouldn't want that sailor girl as a roommate either. Still leaves plenty of others though."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"It appears that no matter what happens, Evan will no longer be my roommate, and he'll be replaced by someone I barely know. Zubin's pretty cool, Pierre's proportionately terrible, and Kevin...I have freaking clue about Kevin. Kid is quiet."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"New roomate? Well, I'll miss being roomies with Gal, but this _is_ the merge, and I can't just sit back and let the rest of Honua do all the heavy lifting, now can I?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Challenge: Merger on The Coal Bed_

 _Rules; Players must stand on a bed of hot coals for as long as they possibly can. As the players give up and leave the coal bed to go cool their feet off in the water of the lake, they will be assigned rooms of their new, large merge cabin. The player who manages to last the longest on the coal bed will win immunity._

* * *

 _Location: Kahakai Beach_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Everyone is lined up at the coal bed!" Chris announced as the contestants lined up in front of the coal bed in alphabetical order, with Cassandra and Zubin on either end, and Clay, Evan, Galiris, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Nixia, and Pierre between them. "The competition starts...now! Everyone on!"

All contestants jumped onto the coals as Chris and Chef started a timer.

"Clay, Cassandra." Evan looked over to his nearby allies. "We need to get rid of Pierre ASAP."

"What if he wins immunity, though?" Cassandra asked as she leaned past a struggling Clay.

"Then we'll get rid of Katrina. She's probably got her hands on that Chris Tiki from last challenge."

"Hey, what're you guys talking about?" Galiris leaned over from her spot. "I want in on it!"

"Do you know if Kevin ever found the Chris Tiki?" Evan asked as he turned to Galiris.

"Pfft. No." Galiris almost laughed. "I'm not in the business of keeping track of those things. As long as I win immunity, I'm not going anywhere, so I don't care much for those tikis."

"Then will you vote Katrina with us if Pierre doesn't lose?"

"I'll ask around, but I'll make no promises." Galiris crossed her arms. "You aren't the only group of four looking to take control of this game you know."

"Clay, what do you think of all this?" Evan asked.

"Clay's starting to show a lot of sweat, and so is Zubin down on the end of the coal bed!" Chris announced.

"Dangit!" Zubin left the coal bed to go into the lake water.

"Ugh, not first off, yes." Clay finally left the coal bed as well.

"Zubin and Clay both out of this challenge!" Chris announced "No shot at immunity, and both will be vulnerable at tonight's Po'ino Bonfire!"

"Man those coals were really something, huh?" Zubin asked Clay as they both cooled their feet in the lake.

"I'm surprised the last cast was able to handle their eliminations so well." Clay agreed. "But look at freaking Pierre, Cassandra, and Galiris. They haven't even broken into sweats yet."

"Pierre and Cassandra are both leather-clad, they must have gotten used to intense heat." Zubin reasoned. "Gal's probably just determined to win immunity though."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Which reminds me, I need to get rid of her sooner rather than later. The less competition she has, the more likely she'll be to win immunity, and if there's one kind of person I don't want to face in the finals, it's an athletic one."

End Confessional

* * *

"Fuck this." Katrina sighed from the coal bed as she left and joined Clay and Zubin in the lake.

"Hey."

The two looked at each other.

"Um...hi?" Clay warily responded.

"I know you both have tikis." Katrina cut straight to the point. "Pierre never shut up about them when we were in the Ka Malu O Cabin. What do they do?"

"Pierre's mistaken. Neither one of us has any sort of tiki." Zubin quickly answered.

Katrina's eyes narrowed.

"Fine. Lie. Whatever, it doesn't make much difference to me anyways. We all know Pierre's going straight back home if he doesn't win. If he does though,"

Back on the coal bed, Evan looked over at Cassandra.

"Katrina." He grunted.

"Katrina." Cassandra nodded back.

With that, Evan stepped off the coals.

"And with that Evan is out of this challenge!" Chris announced as Chef immediately came to grab Evan. "He will now return to Kokoke Island where he will spend until Po'ino in isolation!"

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I wish I could have been closer to Nixia to let her know, but I trust that either Cassandra or Clay will fill her in on the game plan. Now all I can do is wait."

End Confessional

* * *

"Ugh...Kevin...Gal…" Lina groaned. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

"You can leave if you have to." Kevin assured her.

"Wow, Galiris." Julia looked over at Galiris who had finally begun to sweat. "You're really fighting for the win, huh?"

"The only thing I trust in this game is immunity." Galiris responded. "Now that we're in the merge the gloves are coming off. I will not yield it to anyone."

"Really?" Julia smirked as she braced through the pain of kicking a hot coal towards Galiris's ankle. Though the projectile hit its mark, Galiris did not falter.

"Dirty tricks are not going to win you this challenge, mimic."

"Ugh...I can't…" Lina finally stepped off the coals as she went to join the others in the lake.

"And Lina is out of this challenge, giving up her shot at immunity...we are now down to two left from each of the previous teams! Cassandra and Nixia of the former Ka Lani, Julia and Pierre of the former Ka Malu O, and Galiris and Kevin of the former Honua! It is _still_ anyone's challenge!"

"Wrong Chris!" Pierre shouted back. "It's _my_ challenge!"

"Hah!" Galiris let out an equally audible laugh. "Fat chance."

"Oh, Nixia, I had meant to inquask you of something." Pierre leaned in towards Nixia. "What was it you said earlier about my glorious Golden Tiki? You 'guessed' right?"

"I might've sort of...claimed to have the tiki so that Julia would feel safe in voting you off?" Nixia shrugged sheepishly.

"Then I owe you my thanks, Nixia!" Pierre gave a bow. "As reward, I shall _not_ vote for you tonight. Count yourself blessed."

"Hey, Kevin!" Julia snapped to get Kevin's attention. "What are those two talking about over there?"

"I think he said he won't vote Nixia out?" Kevin guessed.

"Oh, is the alliance of betrayers falling apart?" Cassandra muttered towards Galiris. "I never would have freakin' guessed."

Galiris began to laugh at the statement, and Julia noticed an opportunity. She kicked up another coal.

"Gal!" Kevin shouted.

Galiris noticed just in time.

"Thanks, Kev! I owe you one!" Galiris smiled before turning her head to Julia.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to pick on someone bigger than you?"

"It is if it gets me immunity." Julia answered honestly. "Like, I'm all for having a good time as much as the next contestant here, but this _is_ a competition, and I _do_ intend to win it."

"Gah!"

Nixia rushed off the coal bed and into the lake.

"Sorry Cassandra, that was way too hot!"

"Nixia, come here." Clay motioned Nixia over away from the others. "If Pierre manages to win immunity, we're voting Katrina."

"So that's what you guys were talking about. Okay, thanks!" Nixia nodded.

"What was _that_ secret meeting just now?" Lina brought up as the two returned to the others.

"Evan was giving me a message to relay to his girlfriend, and I decided to do it privately." Clay said, hiding the whole truth, but not stating any falsehoods.

"Damnit!" Cassandra quickly followed Nixia off the coal bed.

"And both Cassandra and Nixia have forfeited the challenge!" Chris announced "Only Galiris, Julia, Kevin, and Pierre remain!"

"Pierre, come join us over here!" Julia called over to Pierre.

"You, in fact, can not move from your starting position." Pierre proclaimed. "Or at least I won't attempt it. The host of this show has been known to use technicalities to skew immunities in his favor."

"In _my_ favor?" Chris gasped. "The only thing _I_ favor is ratings!"

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"And my beautiful face, of course!"

End Confessional

* * *

"How are you holding up, Kev?" Galiris asked. "I'm proud of you for making it this far!"

"My feet _really_ hurt." Kevin answered honestly.

"Yeah, join the freakin' club." Julia looked down at her own feet. "How about you Pierre?" She called. "How do your feet feel?"

"Like they'll be welded to the earth at any moment, dearest betrayer!" Pierre called back.

"Kev, I really appreciate you sticking out here this long, but I don't want you getting hurt because of this." Galiris noticed the incredible agony on Kevin's face. "You can leave if you need to leave, I'm not going anywhere."

"No… I want to stick it out...with...you-" The heat finally got the better of Kevin and he began to slump over.

"Kevin!" Galiris shouted as she rushed to catch him before he fell to the coals.

"And it looks like Kevin is out of this challenge!" Chris announced as Galiris handed him off to a returned Chef.

"Yeah, it's heat stroke. Should be fine after he cools off. He can continue playing the game." Chef determined. "Fool kid should've left this challenge during the early stages. It's a miracle he made it as far as he did. Must've really been driven."

"Oh Kev…" Galiris bit her lip as Chef took Kevin towards the Merge Cabin.

"Well, that answers one question!" Pierre smirked as he walked towards Julia and Galiris. "We may move on the coal bed!"

"Julia figured that out already when she shifted her stance to try and cheat her way to victory."

"It's not cheating. There's no rule explicitly against it!" Julia responded.

"Listen ladies…" Pierre sighed. "I doubt either one of you will be going home tonight, could you allow me this immunity?"

"I suppose I do owe you after the whole...betrayal thing…" Julia decided. "You're sure it's not me? You're not out for revenge or something?"

Pierre lifted Julia's head up to give her another kiss.

"How could I be mad at my beautiful betrayer? You've been invaluable in assisting with our glorious spectacle!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"It's like, somehow, Julia has managed to absorb the worst traits of both her remaining teammates. I guess that's what prolonged exposure to different behaviors can do. Heh, look at me thinkin' like my own teammates! Another point for the argument I guess!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Once." Julia decided. "I'll yield to you once."

She slowly stepped off the bed and hobbled towards the lake water.

"And Julia has forfeited the challenge!" Chris announced. "We are down to only Pierre and Galiris! Which one will be the lucky winner of the first individual immunity?"

"Galiris, you must know how much I would hate to be voted out right away after earning a second chance. Both Silivia and I would owe you quite the favor, you know."

"I. Will. Not. Yield." Galiris doubled down and dug her feet into the coal.

Pierre gave a tremendous sigh.

"Then you leave me with no choice. Behold trick number 2 of my Golden Tiki's 3 miracles!" Pierre held up his Golden Tiki to Chris.

"Chris! I am allowed to play this Golden Tiki at either 11, 8, or 5 players left to give myself immunity! In truth, I'd hoped to use it at the 8 mark, but this sailor girl has forced my hand! I must make use of it now instead!"

"That _is_ a trait of Pierre's Golden Tiki." Chris announced with a grin as everyone in the lake groaned. "Of course, since Pierre now has immunity, he is forfeit from the challenge, making Galiris the first winner of individual immunity!"

"Woo!" Galiris cheered as both she and Pierre quickly left the coals to go soak their feet in the lake.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"So I couldn't keep Pierre from winning immunity, eh, whatever. I'm just stoked that _I_ got immunity! Time to hoist my sails and jet at 60 knots to the finals!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"So the second of Pierre's three big surprises have been revealed. The first was a return to the game after an elimination, the second was a free immunity at a specific point, I dread to think what the third is. What matters now though is that Katrina is the target to go home. That'll be at least one less Ka Malu O to deal with."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright, congratulations on somehow managing to make standing around doing nothing entertaining!" Chris clapped as he approached the contestants in the lake.

"Now...time for room assignments in the Merge Cabin! And perhaps a bit about the Merge Cabin itself!"

"Why do we need to know about the Merge Cabin?" Lina wondered. "It's just a larger cabin for all of us, isn't it?"

"In essence." Chris shrugged. "But what makes this cabin special is that it's multi-story, and has various rooms in it to serve specific features. First, since only 10 of you will ever be in this cabin at most, it has five rooms. There are three rooms for the women on the second floor of the cabin, and two rooms for the men on the third floor. The first floor has all the living amenities of any standard cabin resort. A living room with a killer fireplace, a game area, a kitchen, and two separate bathrooms."

"We'd have figured that all out ourselves, though." Zubin noted. "What's the _real_ reason you have to talk to us about it?"

"During the performance earlier today, and during this challenge, the old team cabins were either demolished or moved to production's storage space back on the mainland." Chris announced. "And to add some more _fun_ to this game, I've decided to issue a rule. Galiris, these are yours for the time being!"

He tossed Galiris a set of keys with floral designs.

"Those...are the Keys of Immunity. They are the only tool that can be used to lock or unlock the merge cabin door from both the inside and outside of the cabin. _Only_ the winner or winners of the last immunity challenge may use them. Pierre, since you bought immunity with your tiki, that does not apply to you at the moment. Win immunity, and you control the keys to the Merge Cabin. Use it to lock people in, to lock people out, go wild!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"So not only did Galiris win immunity, she also won the ability to lock and unlock the cabin whenever she sees fit, at least until the next challenge. Hm...I can see how in the wrong hands those keys could really cause some trouble. I guess it's a good thing this is probably going over her head."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Immunity gets me control of the keys huh? I wouldn't mind locking everyone out and forcing them into the wilderness for survival."

End Confessional

* * *

"Now then…" Chris took out a scrap of paper. "Based on your performances this challenge, here are the room pairs. We'll start with the women on the second floor. In room 2A we have...Katrina and Lina! Room 2B is Cassandra and Nixia, not much change there, and Room 2C is Galiris and Julia!"

Galiris looked over at Julia, and then looked at the keys in her hand. She gave Julia a knowing grin.

"You wouldn't!" Julia gasped.

"You better change your attitude then." Galiris responded. "Otherwise you can spend the night in Nahele."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"I shouldn't have given up immunity for Pierre." Julia clicks her tongue in frustration. "Now sailor girl has those keys and is holding my freaking _bed_ hostage. If she wasn't immune, I'd vote her off _so_ fast!"

End Confessional

* * *

"And now for the men on floor three." Chris announced. "Room 3A is Clay and Zubin, and Room 3B is Kevin and Pierre! Pierre, Kevin's already been brought to your room, as have your belongings. As I understand it, he and Silivia have grown somewhat fond of each other after sharing such a confined space for this extended period of time. Now, you all need to head straight to the Merge Cabin! After all, you shouldn't leave anyone all alone with your stuff!"

Clay's eyes widened as he and Zubin exchanged the same look.

"Gal!" Zubin called. "Clay and I really want to check out our new room, let's head over as quickly as possible!"

"You're lucky mimic, looks like you won't be locked out if you follow us." Galiris explained to Julia.

"Wait...are you going to lock the door once you're inside?" Lina asked with a gasp.

"I don't want any thieves breaking in!" Galiris responded.

"Well shit then, we gotta head over there right away!" Cassandra exclaimed as Nixia gave an agreeing nod.

"I for one, welcome the chance to have a private conversation with my ever so quiet roommate." Pierre grinned as he also headed towards the Merge Cabin.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"And I'm sure Silivia has learned quite the valuable information about our new roomie as well."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s); Cassandra, Clay, Galiris, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Nixia, Pierre, Zubin_

"Woah! It's so big!" Nixia exclaimed as Galiris unlocked the door and all the male contestants immediately rushed upstairs.

Clay and Zubin both rushed to their room as quickly as possible, and Clay checked his guitar case.

"Oh good." He sighed, relieved. "Still there."

"That's a relief." Zubin gave a similar sigh as he took note that his Maple Tiki, his strange rock, and his fake Heaven Tiki were all where he had left them in his standard clothes.

"So, level with me man." Clay relaxed on his bed in the room. "Do you really have a tiki or not?"

"I do." Zubin answered honestly. "Unfortunately, it won't help you or me or anyone." He showed Clay the fake Heaven Tiki. "Because it's fake."

"A fake tiki? Were you the one behind Stephanie's strategy a few eliminations ago?"

"No, actually." Zubin took comfort in the fact. "The idea to use a fake tiki belonged to Kevin. We made this one not long after."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I need to reveal as little of my hand as possible to Clay while also revealing enough to get him to trust me. The problem is where I can determine a good cut-off line is."

End Confessional

* * *

"Listen…" Clay said after some silence. "What do you think about voting Katrina off tonight?"

"I think it's fine." Zubin ran through the scenario in his head. "I'll talk to whomever I see on Honua and see if I can't get them to agree as well."

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"Since Pierre is immune because of course he would be, Katrina poses the biggest threat since she might have that Chris Tiki, and when she tries, it's been known to pay off more often than not. I don't like the idea of her of all people being able to practice any challenge she wants."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"While I'd _prefer_ to get rid of those Ka Lani numbers as soon as possible, I have a feeling that tweedle-Julia and tweedle-Pierre are closer to working with us than with Ka Lani should push come to shove. Therefore, Katrina feels like a safe vote to me."

End Confessional

* * *

"Kevin, you deserve a round of applause for your performance today!" Pierre cheered as he clapped while entering his and Kevin's room.

"Oh…" Kevin averted his eyes. "Hello."

"I heard you and Silivia have bonded! That's wondiforous! We'll be putting up with each other for at least one week more, so I hope we may be fiercest of friends going forwards! By the way, you shall be pleased to know that while I may be immune myself tonight, it was Galiris who earned immunity in today's challenge! Your speaking up most certainly stopped her untimely defeat!"

"Really?" Kevin looked up and smiled. "That's good."

"Now it's time for us to talk, Kevin, about who it is facing Po'ino's fire today! Obviously, neither of us, nor Galiris, but if I might make a small request, that it also not be Nixia. As I understand it, she was claiming to have had the Golden Tiki in the strategy used to push Julia towards my blindside. I intend to thank her by not voting her off tonight."

"Um…" Kevin rose a hand nervously.

"Yesindeed?" Pierre asked in a single breath.

"Actually...I was the one who came up with that strategy."

Pierre's eyes lit up. "Truly? Then it appears I am indebted to you as well. I promise to never lock you out of this cabin!"

"Um?" Kevin tilted his head.

"Ah…" Pierre realized Kevin hadn't heard the news yet. "You'll find out soon enough. I'm sure one of your own will tell you."

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Find out what? Why can't he tell me now?"

End Confessional

* * *

"So what do I have to do from being locked out?" Julia asked Galiris as they settled in their room.

"Vote with me at tonight's elimination ceremony. It's high time those Ka Lani four were split up. Now, I don't know who does or who doesn't have a tiki but-"

"Nixia claimed she had the golden tiki to me when she really didn't." Julia chimed in. "I'll be money she's got nothing."

"Yeah." Galiris agreed. "We can't trust Evan to not have something up his sleeve after that damn Dove Tiki sent Dominique home."

"Pierre seems completely convinced that Clay has a tiki of his own." Julia also noted. "That limits us to Cassandra and Nixia."

"And Evan and Nixia are a couple." Galiris realized. "That makes Nixia the best balance between a big threat and an easy target."

"I"m surprised you aren't gunning for the rest of your teammates." Julia smirked. "After all, Honua was supposed to be filled with the strategic thinkers weren't they?"

"I'm not going to go for my own crew unless I fear a mutiny, and right now, in possession of these keys, I need not fear any mutiny." Galiris gave Julia her answer.

"Fair enough." Julia nodded. "Nixia tonight then?"

"I'll go let my Honua crew know." Galiris mentioned. "In the meantime…"

She locked the door to her room behind her.

"Hey!" Julia began to bang on the door. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I still don't trust you for one second unsupervised!" Galiris called back into the room. "I'll bring you meals and whatever guests you want to meet, but I'm not letting Miss 'Hit Gal's ankles with hot coals' having free reign of the entire cabin!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Well...at least I've got a bed. Too bad Gal doesn't have any tiki. Would've loved to nab one from her."

End Confessional

* * *

"May I enter?" Galiris asked as she entered Katrina and Lina's room anyways.

"Nixia." Katrina sighed. "I gather that's the name you're about to come in and tell your friend?"

"How did-?!" Galiris gasped.

"Common fucking logic." Katrina rolled her eyes. "You've got our votes."

"Hey, don't speak for me!" Lina huffed before turning.

"But Gal, look at Katrina! She's right here! She's vulnerable and in possession of the Chris-"

"So you _do_ have it?" Galiris's eyes widened.

"I could be persuaded to part with it and hand it off to someone else though." Katrina shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned this tiki is useless until right before the final challenge. If my safety becomes more important, my safety becomes more important. Besides...I'd wager you need my vote with the way Honua number 4 has been acting all friendly with Ka Lani number 2."

"Um….you mean Zubin and Clay?" Lina asked.

"Clay has nothing to do with this vote." Galiris's eyes narrowed. "In fact, I bet he'd vote off Nixia before any of his other teammates."

"I'm pretty sure his vote is going to be for Katrina though." Lina looked back at Katrina who explained the situation.

"Pierre is immune, Julia seems to have no tiki, and I do have one, but nothing that will grant me immunity, therefore, I am the biggest threat while remaining the easiest target. For their little group anyways."

"Lina...please." Galiris pleaded. "Nixia's got all those animals on her side too. If you're worried about Katrina's tiki, find a way to get her to give to you."

"I'll think about it…" Lina answered. "Is that okay for now?"

"Yes, it's okay for now."

As Galiris left the room, Lina turned back to Katrina.

"Are you really going to vote for me, and go against your captain?" Katrina almost rolled her eyes as she asked the question. "Because if you do, you better hope you succeed in getting rid of me. It's not the first time I've been on the chopping block, but it also won't be the last."

And with her vague threat to Lina said, she too left the room.

* * *

"Kevin, there you are, buddy!" Zubin exclaimed happily as he ran into Kevin on the third floor hallway. "You set to vote Katrina tonight?"

"It's Katrina tonight?" Kevin asked.

Zubin nodded.

"Hm…" Kevin seemed hesitant. "I think it'd be better to get rid of at least one Ka Lani first."  
"Well, I do agree with you" Zubin admitted. "But I want Clay on Ka Lani to trust us so he votes with us when it's just Honua and him left. That way we can pull the numbers."

"He just needs to trust you though, right? I want to know who the girls think should go home."

"Hey, you guys are up here!" Galiris explained as she poked her head up the staircase to the third floor. "How do you boys feel about voting Nixia?"

Kevin gave Zubin a look that easily read 'I knew this would happen'.

Zubin sighed.

"Gal, I've been working on getting Clay to trust us recently, the same way we worked on Dominique. I can't in good faith vote a Ka Lani out yet."  
"That's fair." Galiris shrugged. "You keep up the trust front, the rest of us will handle Nixia! Blame the result on Katrina and Julia manipulating us if you have to."

"You seem calm about this." Zubin noted.

"Well, we've got both Katrina and Julia's votes!" Galiris grinned. "It's not like Pierre will vote for Ka Malu O yet either. The worst we risk is a tie that has nothing to do with Honua."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Except that I don't want a tie. I want Katrina to go home. Now that we're at the merge, we need to focus more on the individual, and that means getting Kevin and myself to the finale. _Not_ getting Honua to the final four.

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, see you at the ceremony boys!" Galiris left down the staircase and Zubin looked back at Kevin. "Come on Kevin, please. You won't be voting for any Honua by getting rid of Katrina instead."

"I...need to think about it." Kevin muttered before heading back into his room. As he opened the door, Pierre locked eyes with Zubin before widening them with a grin.

"Boo!" He mouthed as the door closed.

* * *

Cassandra and Nixia slowly let Clay into their room after the three of them made sure no one else was watching.

"I've managed to get Zubin to vote with us against Katrina." He said. "That's at least five votes. He said he'd talk to his Honua alliance too, so we should be sitting pretty if we stick to the game plan."

"Way to go, Clay!" Cassandra gave him a high five. "Talking to the Z-man and getting us some of them sweet Honua votes!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"It looks like this elimination ceremony will finally see the end of miss 187 IQ!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"We will now bring in Evan back from Kokoke Island!" Chris announced as Chef walked Evan up to the summit of Mt. Immolate.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I can't speak, and I don't know anything that happened in the Merge Cabin, but I _do_ have faith in my friends. We can pull this off."

End Confessional

* * *

"So...how's the merge treating you all?"

"Well, I'd prefer if I wasn't locked in my room like a two-year old." Julia immediately responded.

"She acts like a two-year old during the challenge, she's locked in her room." Galiris shrugged in response.

"You two sound like _great_ roommates." Katrina rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, because _you're_ such a keeper." Lina caught herself muttering.

"Think about how Nixia and I feel, we have to sit in between both those rooms! They aren't soundproof you know! We'll hear you if you shout!" Cassandra spoke up herself.

"Zubin and I are perfectly fine." Clay shrugged.

"As are Kevin and myself!" Pierre boasted. "I purport that we may in fact be the most compatible roommates of the bunch!"

"Oh shove it, snakeskin!" Cassandra retaliated.

"Loudmouth annoyance." Katrina rolled her eyes before giving Cassandra a glare.

"Arrogant bum." Clay shrugged.

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"Earlier, before this whole insult-fest started, I wasn't just saying Zubin and I got along well to gloat, I was feeding Evan the housing information he was missing. If he's going to be trapped on Kokoke, he needs to know as much about the main island goings on as he can."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, it seems like everyone here still _really_ hates each other…" Chris observed. "I _love_ it! Now's the time to get to the vote! Galiris, you're up first!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"Nixia, I've got nothing against you. In fact, I like you, but Honua crew needs the numbers!"

End Confessional

* * *

After Galiris went up, it was Cassandra's turn.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"Katrina, I am _not_ going to miss you even a little bit. Have fun reading your book on the flight home."

End Confessional

* * *

One by one everyone went up to vote until only Evan, Pierre, and Kevin were left.

"Evan, you're up next." Chris announced. "You know how this works."

Evan stood up and pointed at Katrina.

"Katrina." He spoke, before sitting back down.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Maybe one of the Curse Tiki's effects is that its bearing always votes for me."

End Confessional

* * *

"Pierre, you're up!" Chris announced.

Pierre grinned as he stood up.

"Ah, how trapped I am to play the part of the fool this fine elimination ceremony. I hope something interesting comes out of this!" He proclaimed as he went to write a name down.

When he came back, Chris sent Kevin up.

As Kevin stood up, both Galiris and Zubin looked at him with the same kind of pleading yet determined eyes. Kevin gulped, and headed up to the voting area.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I vote...for…. _her_ …"

End Confessional

* * *

After Chris had gone to tally the votes, he came back...with nothing but the jar the votes had been placed in.

"There is one last change happening now that the merge is here!" Chris announced. "Much like Total Drama World Tour's eliminations during the merge, the votes will be read and kept track of orally! No more getting a lei. Now, if your name comes up the most, you must leave on the Hang Glide of Shame, and you can never come back _ever_."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, just get on with this." Katrina impatiently hurried Chris along.

"Alright, alright already! Yeesh!" Chris reached into the jar and pulled out the first slip of paper.

"Before I pull this out." He stopped himself. "If anyone has a tiki that they want to play, now would be the time to do it."

Everyone looked around.

Evan's hand went towards his pocket.

It stopped short.

"Alright then." Chris nodded. "Here are the votes:

First off, Evan, you receive a vote from The Curse Tiki, but more importantly...

One vote for...Katrina.

One vote for Nixia.

Another vote for Nixia.

Yet another vote for Nixia. That's three votes Nixia, one vote Katrina.

One vote for Katrina.

One vote for Nixia. That's four votes Nixia, two votes Katrina.

Another vote for Katrina.

One more vote for Katrina. We're tied. Four votes Nixia, four votes Katrina, one vote Evan, three votes left.

One vote for Katrina. That's five votes Katrina, four votes Nixia, one vote Evan, two votes left.

Nixia! That's five votes Katrina, five votes Nixia, one vote Evan, one vote left."

Chris reached his hand into the bag.

"One vote Clay." He announced.

"What?" Clay sat upright and looked around.

"We have a tie on our hands." Chris smiled as he looked at Katrina and Nixia. "Our tiebreaker tonight is...rock paper scissors. The best two out of three matches."

Confessional: Nixia

"A TIE?! AGAIN?! Why, why must I _always_ do this?"

End Confessional

Katrina and Nixia sat across from each other.

As Chris counted them down, they both determined what to play against their opponent.

"Rock…" Chris counted down.  
"Paper…

Scissors…

Shoot!"

Katrina had chosen paper.

Nixia had chosen rock.

"Rock…." Chris began to count down again.

"Paper…

Scissors…

Shoot!"

Katrina had chosen…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Scissors.

Nixia had chosen…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Rock.

"Rock…" Chris counted down one last time.

"Paper…

Scissors…

Shoot!"

Katrina had chosen…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Scissors.

Nixia had chosen…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Paper.

Evan immediately stood up, furious, wishing with all his energy to say something, but he couldn't.

"Evan, don't worry." Nixia smiled as she stood up from her seat, defeated. "It's not yours or anyone else's fault. I believe you and Ka Lani can still pull through!"

She leaned up and gave him one last, lingering kiss.

"You win this game now, alright? I'll be rooting for you unconditionally!"

Evan almost said something, but caught himself and tensed up again. Letting a single tear escape his eye socket and run down his cheek.

"Who...who voted for me?!" Clay asked, concerned. "It was you wasn't it?" He turned to Pierre.

Pierre shrugged. "I'm afraid I'm a betrayer at heart, Clay. I voted for Nixia. Anything to keep Ka Malu O from being the only group of three in this game!"

"Then who…?"

"It wasn't you was it, Kevin?" Zubin asked, a little concerned.

"No." Kevin replied. "I didn't vote for Clay. Did you?"

"No, I voted for Katrina!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure we're all very curious to know who voted for whom, but right now, Nixia has a flight to catch, and Evan has a boat ride to take!"

"Bye guys!" Nixia waved at the now final ten players. "Be sure to give it your all now that the merge is upon us! I better see each of you trying your hardest!"

And with that, Nixia flew off.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Dammit! DAMMIT! Why didn't I play that stupid Heaven Tiki when I had the chance?! Now she's GONE, Ka Lani's down in the numbers department, and we've probably alienated Ka Malu O to the point of not being able to work with them, giving Honua all this freaking power! WHY?! Clay, Cassandra, you two better find a way to turn things around for us. I'm useless without being on the main island with you guys!"

End Confessional

* * *

"That's a wrap on the first episode of the Nui Kaua merge!" Chris announced as he looked into the camera. "Now that Nixia has been successfully blindsided, and Ka Lani is down to three, does Honua truly have a hold in this game? Or is the tension brewing between the different thinkers about to reach a breaking point? Only time will tell so stay tuned for the next episode of

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Nixia's Final Confessional

"So, I got blindsided out of nowhere, that was a pretty big surprise. I would've thought that they'd go for Evan first, but I guess being cursed brings with it certain morbid advantages that I couldn't benefit from. I like the game I played! I was nice, and caring towards my teammates. I made friends with the animals and they helped us in challenges, and I helped work to oppose those dreaded Ka Malu O players! I'm definitely rooting for my Evan to win! You've got this honey! No tiki is going to keep you from getting all the way to the end! Good luck to the rest of my Ka Lani peeps too!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Cassandra voted for...Katrina_

 _Clay voted for...Katrina_

 _Evan voted for...Katrina_

 _Galiris voted for...Nixia_

 _Julia voted for...Nixia_

 _Katrina voted for...Nixia_

 _Kevin voted for...Nixia_

 _Lina voted for...Nixia_

 _Nixia voted for...Katrina_

 _Pierre voted for...Clay_

 _Zubin voted for...Katrina_

 _The Curse Tiki voted for...Evan_

* * *

Bonus Confessional:

Confessional: Pierre

"Just think...with the simple writing down of a name...and a casual but believable denial, one can stoke the fires of another's greatest insecurities. Time to finally procure that elusive tiki!"

End Confessional


	21. Ep 13: Trust Thine Enemy

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

Our teams were finally merged, and with the merge, came alliances in the form of the old teams. Who'd've thunk it? After a performance by some former zero sum contestants to celebrate the official merge of the game, and after Pierre had been properly returned to the competition, we headed straight into our first challenge for individual immunity, enduring the pain of continuously standing on a hot coal bed! In the end, Pierre played his Golden Tiki, making use of its second trick and giving himself a free immunity by forfeiting the challenge, which left Galiris, the only other player on the coal bed at the time, with both the individual immunity gained by winning the challenge _and_ the keys to the contestants' new Merge Cabin, which she used to lock Julia in their shared room until it was time to head to elimination! Hahaha, nice one! After the challenge, two candidates emerged to send home in Nixia and Katrina, leaving the Honua alliance somewhat split on who to vote for.

In the end, Zubin voted for Katrina along with the Ka Lani alliance, while the rest of Honua voted for Nixia, leaving Pierre with a swing vote which he instead used to vote for Clay and stoke fires of the loner's paranoia, leaving Nixia and Katrina tied with five votes each.

The tiebreaker was a best of three match of rock-paper-scissors, which Katrina managed to win in the final round, sending Nixia home, and upsetting Evan, who could've played his Heaven Tiki, but didn't. Now only ten remain! As we get ever closer to the end of this game, who will betray whom? One unlucky contestant will find out the hard way right now, right here, on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Clay and Zubin's Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Zubin_

Zubin silently and calmly thought to himself as he sat in his bed, cushioning his back against the wall with his pillow.

"Okay…" He muttered after coming to a realization and nodding to himself. "Time to do some organizing."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"That elimination ceremony was...enlightening, and after thinking it over for a while this morning, while I've had the time to process everything calmly and rationally, I've narrowed down Clay's mystery vote to the Ka Malu O three. I know that I, Clay, and Evan thanks to his curse, all voted for Katrina at that ceremony. Nixia and Cassandra most likely did as well, and considering how gung-ho Gal was about blindsiding Nixia, I trust that the rest of my Honua alliance voted for her, which means one of Ka Malu O is behind Clay's vote. To secure his trust completely, I want to get them out of the game as soon as possible, and I can probably use that vote to convince the rest of Honua that someone from Ka Malu O is trying to blow up the game and make things harder for us. For now, Ka Lani and Honua ought to band together in a super alliance until the final seven. Our first target, of course, has to be Pierre because of that Golden Tiki that _still_ has a trick up its sleeve."

End Confessional

* * *

As Zubin stood up, Clay rigidly rose from his bed, startling Zubin.

"Where are you going?!" He immediately demanded.

"Downstairs for breakfast..." Zubin responded a little warily. "Want to come with?"

Clay's eyes narrowed. "You sure you aren't meeting with some hidden alliance?"

"Clay, I didn't vote for you or Nixia." Zubin responded honestly. "I was that fifth vote that Katrina received."

"You said you'd talk to Honua to get them to vote her off too, but clearly none of them voted for her if what you say is true."

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"I'm in a no-win situation here. If what Zubin said is true, his vote and words may not be enough to keep myself and Ka Lani in the game. If what he says is false, then I have no idea who I can trust other than Evan, but he's back on Kokoke Island right now, and after seeing his girlfriend blindsided like that, I bet he won't be trusting of _anyone_ when he gets back during the next challenge. The worst part of all of this is the vote for me that came out of nowhere at that last elimination. It seems like I have five suspects if Zubin is to be believed. That's Galiris, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, and Lina. If Zubin's lying though, my list goes up, adding both him, and though it pains me to say it, Cassandra to that list as well. I'm pretty sure it wasn't Pierre though. Not only did he seem proud about voting for Nixia, he knows that I wouldn't hand my tiki over to him if he voted me out right now." Clay grabs his head in his hands and looks down at the floor despairingly. "Agh! Why did the merge have to make things so much more complicated than before?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Clay, I tried, I failed, that's all there is to this." Zubin spoke in as reassuring a tone as he could manage. He looked through the door's keyhole to make sure no one was around before he moved in closer towards Clay anyways to avoid even the slightest chance of being heard by someone else. "It's my bet that your vote came from a Ka Malu O trying to blow up the game. I'm sure at least one of the other Honua realizes it too. Let's focus on getting Pierre and his tiki out of here again first, alright?"

"Hrm…" Clay tried his hardest to find something in Zubin that would give away a lie, but as Zubin was being entirely honest, Clay could not find anything.

"I don't think it was Pierre that voted for me." Clay finally answered. "I think it was Julia."  
"That honestly wouldn't surprise me." Zubin admitted with a shrug. "She does seem to enjoy stirring things up a little too much for her own good. Still though, she's not going to get through to any Honua while Gal's keeping her locked away in their room. Now's our chance to get rid of the golden tiki for a second time. That thing is too powerful to make this game fair or balanced."

"I don't know, I'll need to think about it for a while." Clay admitted. "You're not exactly on Ka Lani's side."

"I'm not on Ka Lani's side, no." Zubin agreed. "But I'm not on Honua's side or Ka Malu O's side either. I'm on _our_ side. The only way we get rid of those three bats is by having all of us working together. I won't ask you for an answer now, I only ask that you give me an honest one later. Now, I'm heading to breakfast, do you want to come with?"

"I'll stay here for a little while longer." Clay decided. "Go eat breakfast."

As Zubin left the door, Clay looked out the window of their room.

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"It's a three story drop down there...if I wanted to sneak out of the cabin that way, I'd have to be extremely careful not to fall and destroy my Legacy Tiki, which I can't leave behind anymore now that Pierre is just a room across from me."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Dining Area)_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, Zubin_

"Morning, everyone" Zubin announced as he walked up to a plate of eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns. "Who made this breakfast? It looks delicious!"  
"Eat up, Z-man!" Galiris smiled. "Before it gets cold!"

"Is Julia still locked in your room?" Zubin asked before taking a bite.

"No, she specifically requested to be locked into Pierre's room with him and his snake. She's not very happy about giving up the challenge for Pierre when he was just going to play that tiki the entire time, so she's locked up in a room, just not her own room."

"Good." Katrina sighed. "The circus should be kept away from the rest of us for all our sakes."

"Are my ears playing tricks on me?" Cassandra asked, confused. "Did Katrina just identify herself, miss 187 IQ, as one of 'us'?"

"You ought to be grateful. You aren't a complete and utter retard like my two remaining teammates." Katrina shrugged. "You let me know if you want Pierre gone especially, you have my vote."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Well...if she's telling the truth...then that was easy. However, I'm sure she'd lie if it suited her, and she is near if not on the bottom right now."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Pierre is someone I already voted off this island. As such, he has no business coming back to the competition. I'll deal with Julia myself, eventually, but for now Pierre can't be allowed to continue his game. I'm sure that's what everyone else thinks too, so I'll play to their simple-minded strategy and get myself through yet another round of this competition...if you could even _call_ it that anymore."

End Confessional

* * *

"So…" Cassandra couldn't help herself. "My room suddenly got a lot bigger now that you guys all blindsided Nixia."

"Sorry about that." Galiris shrugged as she finally sat down at the table near Kevin. "It was nothin' personal."

"We needed the numbers." Kevin explained further. "It shouldn't happen again."

Zubin smiled at his two true alliance-mates at the table as they returned the favor to him.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I think Zubin and I came to the same conclusion about Clay's vote. It's Ka Malu O's fault. I already told Gal. I think we're all on the same page now."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"After that vote for Clay out of nowhere last ceremony, I'm starting to understand Zubin's thinking of wanting the Ka Malu O out of here. One of them, clearly, is trying to steer control of the game away from my crew, which means they must now be shown no mercy and given no quarter. Once I win my immunity again this week, they're being locked out of the cabin!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Kevin and Pierre's Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Pierre_

"It was you wasn't it?" Julia asked Pierre as she sat down on Kevin's bed. "You voted for Clay at that ceremony?"

"That's correct, dearest." Pierre answered as he pet Silivia as she slithered by. "He's no doubt a wreck now. One less obstacle to deal with as I finally procure that tiki from him."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Since the start of this game, my goal has remained the same. Retrieve the tiki Clay's been holding onto since the beginning. Now that his paranoia is at an all time high, I can make use of the wonderful suggestion made last week...and negotiate a trade. True, my golden tiki still has one trick left to use yet, but should I extend to Clay a small spider's thread of hope while he thinks his game is up, I'm sure in his struggle he'll bring the other Ka Lani down with him. Perhaps he'll even make use of the tiki's final trick for me. That would be fantabulous!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"I don't know what Pierre is planning exactly, but I do know that as long as he _is_ planning something, I have free license to cause as much chaos between the remaining contestants as possible. Plant a few false conversations, and I'll for sure have more than just _Clay_ a paranoid wreck. I _would_ like my own room after all. Or maybe I could get Evan to curse a Honua if enough of us band together to eliminate him! Oh, decisions decisions…"

End Confessional

* * *

"So how exactly are you going to get your hands on that tiki?" Julia asked, kicking her legs back and forth idly. "I'll bet sailor girl will lock us all up if she wins immunity again, and I wouldn't put it past anyone else to do the same."

"Well, there's no guarantee of immunity for me _tonight_ ," Pierre admitted "but that's precisely why you, myself, and Silivia must make our moves during the challenge itself!"

"Is there even any guarantee that you'll get to do something like that, though?" Julia narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"Oh, no guarantee at all, dear Julia, none to be had whatsoever!"

"Well why are you so happy about it then?"

"Because that's what will make pulling the plan off that much more spectaculous!" Pierre gave a grand gesture before giving a bow. "This is all about recognition! There is no simple coasting along in this game. Unless you fight the tides that attempt to overtake you, you will forever be obscured in the annals of Total Drama history!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Isn't going with the flow how Owen _won_ the first Total Drama? I don't think I can recall _any_ winner that won by constantly fighting the social order of the game. Oh well, I guess that's why we're trying so hard to change it. That makes sense...I think."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Katrina and Lina's Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Lina_

Lina made sure no one was in the hallway before looking through all of Katrina's belongings.

"There's no way she's got the Chris tiki on her person, right?" Lina wondered as she took extra care to leave everything as she had found it when she was done looking through it.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"I can't find Katrina's Chris Tiki anywhere in her stuff, which is a bummer, because if I could just sort of discreetly nab it, we'd get rid of one of the many problems our Honua alliance still faces. I thought having the majority would be easy, but all I feel is just added pressure."

End Confessional

* * *

As Lina noticed a small groove in the floorboards under Katrina's bed, a small ray of hope shone in through her room's window.

"Ooh, I wonder what this is!" She giggled as she reached her hand down, felt a round object, and pulled it up.

"It _looks_ like a Chris Tiki…" She observed the tiki that very clearly resembled Chris "but without those notes that explain them, how should I know if this is real or a fake? If it's real and I destroy it, that's game over for me. I better not take any chances."

*taptaptap*

Lina looked to the window, where the tapping was coming from. Silivia was hanging in front of the window. She gave a hiss, though inaudible through the glass, as she was pulled back up to the window she'd been dropped from.

"Ooh...that can't be good." Lina realized as she put the tiki back where she'd found it.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Okay, okay...So, that snake saw me find a tiki...think Lina, think, there's something you should be able to do...oh! Wait, the room they're in should be locked, so all I need to do is go get Katrina and...wait...if I tell her about this then she'll know I was snooping! Agh, I'm not seeing any good way out of this. There's got to be someone else I can tell without raising Katrina's suspicion...oh, maybe him!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(3rd Floor Hallway)_

 _Contestant(s): Clay, Julia, Lina, Pierre_

"Pst...Clay!" Lina whispered as she knocked on the door to his shared room with Zubin.

"We'll be fine. She's just one extra number anyways." She immediately heard Clay's voice coming from the opposing door, the one to Kevin and Pierre's room.

"Oh, ha-ha, Julia using her voice tricks." Lina rolled her eyes as she decided to play along and listen in on the fake conversation.

"So it really is both you and Evan against the world then, Cassandra means nothing?" Pierre's voice responded.

"It's pretty simple." Julia mimicked Clay's voice again. "Honua thinks they have control, but they still only have four out of ten players. The six of us could easily pick them off. I know they have something up their sleeves. I've seen the way Zubin acts in our room. So we'll throw a giant wrench in whatever they have planned by voting him off right away. In return, you can eliminate Cassandra next. Evan and I don't need her at all."

"What a strange plan-" Lina murmured to herself before being startled by the opening of a door.

"Lina?" Clay asked. "You did knock on my door, right? What are you doing?"

"Listening in on Pierre and Julia's fake conversation!" Lina responded in a hushed whisper. "Be quiet, they might have heard you!"

Pierre and Julia, of course, had not heard a word of what Clay or Lina was saying, but from the loud creaks in the floorboards, they could tell who was nearby, and who was still downstairs in the kitchen.

"I don't think she, bought it, Pierre." Julia gave a loud and audible sigh. "Gal's plan to even the remaining members on each team isn't going to work after all, I think. Can't we just go back to playing dirty in the immunity challenges like we always do?"

"I still think we should hold onto this stratactic for a while longer," Pierre responded. "Galiris is the key master after all, and we won't be able to pull off Clay's tiki swap without her help. It's a good thing she's too naive to take the tiki for herself."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"You'd be surprised how believable I actually sounded there. It didn't truly matter whether Lina or Clay believed what we said or not, what mattered is that the possibility of it being true was thrown out there."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"As someone who only recently has stopped sleeping in the same room as Galiris, I can say with certainty that she isn't capable of concocting a plan like that. The problem is-"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"So, Galiris is probably the one behind the discord at the last elimination ceremony! It all makes sense now! She's the leader of Honua after all, and seems to have more pull in the alliance than Zubin does. I bet _she's_ the one that voted for me. She's had a grudge against our team ever since Steven joined it back in episode 2 after all. Now I have the identity of the true enemy. The question now is whether to tell Zubin or not. I want to trust him but he's spent the last few weeks directly working with that girl. Man, why does the merge feel like a bike with no brakes?"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Evan_

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Evan kicked up some sand as he stomped in frustration.

"Having yet another tantrum?" Victor yawned as he emerged from his tent. "Keep it down, exile. I'm trying to sleep."

"The sun is at its peak in the sky." Evan replied. "This is the time known as high noon. You ought to have had plenty of sleep already."

"But I haven't thanks to you whining about a girl being voted off. Seriously, I expected you to have a better backbone than that."

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Right, because _he_ was so professional when he was eliminated out of nowhere. Imagine how I feel! I could have _prevented_ that elimination! Katrina could be _gone_! Ugh, but instead here I am on exile, knowing that Clay's more paranoid than a meerkat, Cassandra's probably lonely and confused, and all three Ka Malu O are still in the game, no doubt ready to cause some serious havoc. The next challenge can't come soon enough. I'll win immunity and get one of them sent home this time for sure!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome Final 10!" Chris announced with a gesture as Chef brought Evan in from Kokoke Island. "How are you all feeling about your new cabinmates?"

"I wouldn't know." Julia shrugged, mimicking Heather. "I never got to _speak_ to any of them because I kept getting _locked away in rooms_!" She shot daggers at Galiris, who gave a triumphant smile in response.

"When an animal is being a nuisance, it is only normal to lock it outside." Galiris responded. "This time you shall not even be allowed in the cabin!"

"I'm glad you guys are all fired up for the challenge then!" Chris grinned. "First thing is first, Gal, I will take back those keys!"

Galiris tossed Chris the keys to the Merge Cabin, which he caught and pocketed himself.

"Chris, I have a question." Evan rose his hand. "What if I win immunity?"

"Good question." Chris agreed. "Chef?"

"If the cursed boy wins immunity, he can either take immunity and stay cursed in exile, leaving the cabin entirely unlocked, or her can give up his immunity and temporarily remove the effects of his Curse Tiki, though he'll still control the cabin's keys. Got that?"

Evan's eyes widened.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Chef, you're awesome! I can totally make use of that! Alright, now's the time to truly show everyone what I'm made of!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I wouldn't give such a hopeful look just yet, Evan." Chris grinned. "After all, the theme of this challenge is... _trust_."

"A trust challenge?" Lina wondered. "How's that going to work for individual immunity?"

"Oh, I have my ways." Chris boasted in response. "First, you will each be paired up with someone else _at random_. I saw you guys all heading towards your friends just now!"

"Dang, we'll have to win immunity together some other time, buddy." Zubin patted Kevin on the shoulder, who reacted with a small smile.

"Maybe next time, Lina." Galiris gave Lina a similar pat, and Lina returned a similar smile.

Clay and Evan both gave disappointed looks to each other.

"In any case…" Chris continued with his explanation of the challenge "Once you have been grouped into your five pairs, each pair will participate in a series of five trust exercises. The last pair to complete the first four trust exercises will be eliminated from the challenge. Evan, as long as the challenge is going on, you may talk to your peers, even if you yourself have lost."

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"The idea is to encourage the heckling of other pairs of course."

End Confessional

* * *

"The final trust exercise is one that the last pair will face on their own, but I'll explain that when we get there. Suffice to say, it's possible that there will once again be two players with immunity tonight. However, it's equally possible that everyone will be vulnerable, or that only one contestant will emerge victorious, all thanks to that final exercise. Now, the legs are all things you've seen before on this show, sorry to disappoint, though we've added a few twists and turns to them to make them hopefully more entertaining. The first leg…

One member of each pair will free-hand rock climb up the side of Mt. Immolate a la Hubert's trek in Zero Sum when he found out it was a volcano. To make things more fun, that person will be blindfolded while their partner guides them from behind.

The first four pairs to make it up move onto the second part of the challenge, a special balancing act across the volcano's summit, over the lava inside it. The partner who could see during the first leg will now be responsible for carrying their partner along an increasingly narrow balance beam. If at any point the partner being carried feels unsafe, or as if they will be dropped into the lava, they can opt out of the challenge, but doing so will automatically move on all the other pairs, regardless of how far along the beam they are.

The first three pairs across the balance beams will then participate in a Nui Kaua toboggan race _down_ the mountain, where the partner being carried last challenge will coach their blindfolded companion and give them directions to steer their toboggan to avoid rocks, pits, and of course, traps! If you wipeout, you must climb back up to the summit and start again. You take off the blindfold for any reason, and the other two teams will automatically move on, regardless of how far down the mountain they are.

The last two pairs remaining in the challenge will then participate in a close-quarters staring contest, Zero Sum style. However...to make things more interesting...I'll be playing _confessionals_ of the remaining players during the challenge. I'll have it rigged so that you'll only see and hear your partner's confessionals. It's sure to be enlightening, hahaha! The pair managing to look each other in the eyes the longest will move on to the final leg of the challenge, which I'll explain when the time comes. For now, let's draw for pairs and get started!"

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"Man, I thought forcing new teams into a trust challenge last season was a tough one, but _this_? This is less of a trust challenge and more of a mass expose! I mean, I thought confessionals were supposed to be _private_! Wasn't that the point of them being on the potty in the first place?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"If you're listening to this confessional, please be aware that Chris is trying his hardest to manipulate us into distrusting each other. I wouldn't be surprised if he purposefully took them out of context to make the challenge harder. I only ask that you trust me, partner. Trust me now, and I'll do the same for you. You have my word on that."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Have I really made many confessionals I'm all that embarrassed about?...Oh! Ooh, maybe that one…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Challenge: Trust Thine Enemy_

 _Rules: Contestants will be paired up randomly, and will compete against each other in five legs of a giant trust-building obstacle course. The last pair to finish each of the first four legs will be taken out of the challenge, and any forfeiters will immediately advance all other pairs still in the challenge to the next round._

 _Leg 1: Free-climbing Mt. Immolate, first climber blindfolded._

 _Leg 2: Second climber carries partner across Mt. Immolate Summit_

 _Leg 3: Carrier blindfolded, directed down Mt. Immolate in a toboggan by partner_

 _Leg 4: Staring contest, while partners' confessionals play behind them._

 _Leg 5: Prisoner's Dilemma Game(with strings attached)_

 _Contestant Pairs:_

 _Cassandra and Katrina_

 _Clay and Julia_

 _Evan and Kevin_

 _Galiris and Pierre_

 _Lina and Zubin_

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Base (Leg 1)_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"We have our pairs!" Chris announced as the randomly assigned groups got ready to ascend Mt. Immolate. "Cassandra and Katrina!"

Katrina was busy putting on her blindfold.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"The blindfolded member of the first leg is carried the second leg, and only has to make any effort in the third leg. So long as Cassandra can keep looking me in the eyes, we should be fine, and I can win an immunity without extending any true effort."

End Confessional

* * *

"Clay and Julia!" Chris looked over to where Julia was putting on her own blindfold.

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"Like I'm going to be blindfolded first! I've got a tiki to worry about, and I'm not trusting a Ka Malu O to be behind me at all! I just need to think of how to get past the third leg of the race without giving this girl any sort of opening."

End Confessional

* * *

"Evan and Kevin!" Chris announced as he motioned towards where Kevin was putting on the blindfold.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Evan isn't going to trust me right off the bat, so I've got to be the one to put my fate in his hands first. The good news is that I doubt Chris has much he can use to get either of us riled up at each other, so if we _can_ make it to the staring contest, all we have to do is keep eye contact, and the confessionals may as well not matter. That said...I've never been good with eye contact."

End Confessional

* * *

"Galiris and Pierre!" Chris motioned towards Galiris and Pierre, where Pierre was putting on his blindfold.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"It's quite simple really, I'd much rather sailor girl carry me across the mountain. It gives me time to talk into her ear, because if sailor girl gets riled up, _all_ of Honua ends up riled up. Can't form a plan if you're having a fight now can you?"

End Confessional

* * *

"And finally, Lina and Zubin!" Lina was busy applying her own blindfold.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"This is pretty good, I think! Zubin and I have been on the same team for forever, and we've come up with a few plans together already, so if I'm not paired with Gal, being paired with Zubin is my next best situation! We should reach immunity easy-peasy!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Contestants ready…" Chris announced as all five pairs got ready to climb the mountainside. "Go!"

Pierre and Galiris were off to an early lead.

"Pierre, about three inches up on your right, that rock's going to be the base of your right leg in a few minutes! I'm right behind you, so if you fall, you've got a net!"

"You have my complete faithalty, Gal!" Pierre called back. "Let's keep our immunities, shall we?"

Katrina and Cassandra were quickly closing in on them however, as Katrina hiked up the mountain with minimal help from Cassandra, though not for lack of effort.

"Katrina, slow down a bit!" Cassandra called. "We're still far ahead of the others, let me lead you for a while! This is a trust exercise!"

Katrina slowed down and turned towards the direction of Cassandra's voice. "Well? I'm waiting."

"How about that precipice there?"

Katrina rolled her eyes as she grabbed the precipice she had already been reaching towards when Cassandra stopped her.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"It's not that hard to remember the layout of the mountain when your team campsite was nearby, and _especially_ when you have an IQ of 187."

End Confessional

* * *

Zubin and Lina were making progress, but Lina's short stature and slow pacing were keeping them neck and neck with both Clay and Julia as well as Evan and Kevin.

"How high up are we?" Lina asked Zubin. "I feel like we're _really_ high up, and I'm scared!"

"We're about halfway, Lina!" Zubin informed her. "You're doing great, just keep trusting me and we'll be up there in no time, then you can take the blindfold off and relax!"

"Kevin, we've got to MOVE!" Evan shouted as he noticed Clay and Julia in last place closing in on them. "Zubin and Lina are going to leave us in the dust, and Galiris and Snakepants are practically already at the summit!"  
"Gal's at the summit already?" Kevin asked as his pace began to pick up.

Evan's discerning eyes noticed the change in pace, and he made a mental note of it.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Ahh, so that's how it is then? Good. I was wondering if there was a crack in Honua, and I think I've managed to find it."

End Confessional

* * *

"Clay, come on, you've got to help me!" Julia motioned around. "I can't see where I'm going at all, and I don't want to be locked in my room again!"

"I…" Clay looked around nervously. "Try that one there?"

"I _can't_ see where you're pointing, that's the point of the blindfold!"

"Your upper left! A bump in the mountain!"

"Ah, I've got it!" Julia exclaimed happily. "Hey, feel like causing some trouble?"

She turned towards where she believed Evan and Kevin were still climbing.  
"Kevin, duck!" She shouted mimicking Evan's voice perfectly as Kevin suddenly came to a halt and sheltered his head.

"That wasn't me, Kev!" Evan shouted from below Kevin. "It was the parrot chick! Don't let her get to you, only listen to my voice if it comes from below!"

"And Galiris and Pierre are up!" Chris announced as Galiris and Pierre reached the top of Mt. Immolate. "The pair moves on to leg 2 of the challenge!...Oh! As will Cassandra and Katrina!"

Chris looked over the mountain.

"The other three pairs are still fairly close to each other, it's still anyone's challenge!"

The three remaining pairs fought hard to reach the summit, each one passing the others momentarily before falling back into the pack again.

"Woo!" A cheer erupted as Lina hoisted herself onto the summit, followed by Zubin, who sprawled out and relaxed.

"And Lina and Zubin move on to Leg 2 of the challenge!" Chris announced "Evan and Kevin and Clay and Julia are the last two pairs remaining in Leg 1! One pair will move on, but another pair will be forced to sit and watch the rest of this challenge on the sidelines, giving up their chances at immunity, and possibly their chances at one million dollars!"

"Clay…" Evan looked over at Clay. "You have one of them with you. I don't..and I'm cursed to boot."  
"Evan, I can't just give up my shot at immunity…" Clay sorrowfully refused.  
"Yeah, you better not, Sir Paranoid!" Julia shouted. "We can beat them if we just-"

"Kevin!" Evan shouted. "Galiris is waiting for you at the summit, hustle man, hustle!"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" Clay looked on is disbelief as Kevin's pace picked up once more, and Evan sped up with him.

"What? What's going on?" Julia wondered.

"And Evan and Kevin complete Leg 1!" Chris announced.

"DAMMIT!" Julia shrieked as she took off her blindfold, and noticed how close she actually was to the summit.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"If only I was just a _little_ faster! Maybe if my nervous wreck of a partner did any _actual_ work this challenge, we'd have beaten those two!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate Summit (Leg 2)_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining (Clay and Julia out of the challenge)_

"Leg 2 is about to begin, contestants ready?" Chris looked over at Cassandra carrying Katrina, Evan carrying Kevin, Galiris carrying Pierre, and Zubin carrying Lina. "Go!"

Almost immediately both Zubin and Galiris were halfway across the planks over the summit, with their partners, meanwhile Evan and Cassandra struggled in the rear.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"And now, we commence the riling up of the sailor, a suitable distraction while Julia works on breaking down Clay on the losers' bench."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gal, I must confess something." Pierre snickered. "My Golden Tiki's final trick is that I can see into the confessionals of the other contestants. I know all about the plan for my elimination, and I can safely tell you that it's not going to happen."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"This is a bluff, of course, but the more splendiferous the bluff, the more riled I'll make our precious Gal. Besides, I'd think it fairly obvious I'd remain the favor to go home thanks to my tiki anyways, not terribly hard to see coming, even if no one's outright said anything yet."

End Confessional

* * *

"No, you're definitely going home tonight, and if not then next week." Galiris responded. "I bet it was you who voted for Clay at-"

"Why would _I_ vote for Clay, Gal?" Pierre's grin grew wider. "I want his tiki, no? He won't will it to me, and I won't know who he does will it to if he's eliminated, that's why I want him to stay around. No, whoever voted for Clay last week wants his tiki to be willed to them. Does anyone come to mind who seems to desire Clay's trust?"

Galiris gasped. She then regained her composure.

"I'm listening, snake. You have until the end of the challenge to tell me whatever it is you have planned."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"So _that's_ what's been going on! Zubin's tryin' to get that tiki off of Clay too! I don't know about this though...I can't have any of my crew distracted with something as _unnecessary_ as tiki shenanigans! So one way or another...I need to eliminate the distractions to my crew, even if it means doing something I don't want to. After all, my thought process is what does it matter who has that tiki in the final five when we're Honua strong until the final four? One of us will get it eventually won't we?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Can't you go any faster?" Katrina asked as she noticed Cassandra sliding into last place. "Or do you just not want immunity?"

"I _do_ want immunity!" Cassandra responded. "But I _also_ don't want to drop you, you lanky, hard to carry, smartass!"

Meanwhile, Kevin and Evan were having problems of their own.

"Kevin, you've got to stop looking down, dude." Evan grunted. "Sorry this is going slowly, but I need to be sure I don't drop you."

"Zubin and Lina across the balance beam!" Chris announced as Zubin and Lina crossed the beam, gave some cheers, and Zubin began to put on his own blindfold.

"Ka Lani girl, pick up the pace!" Katrina urged.

"Kev, I'm going to go a bit faster, and it'll be bumpy, alright?" Evan asked a clearly worried Kevin as he began to speed up anyways.

"Galiris and Pierre across the balance beam!" Chris announced as Pierre gave extravagant bows while Galiris began to put on her own blindfold. "Evan and Kevin, Cassandra and Katrina! It's still anyone's challenge, but it looks like Evan and Kevin have this one…"

"I opt out!" Kevin called as he covered both his eyes with his hands. "I can't handle this!"

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Well, if you're going to give up on the challenge, then I certainly won't be playing with you in the foreseeable future. Only those that can handle the challenges should be competing."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I couldn't help it...I didn't want to end up in a robot suit like Alejandro, or damaged beyond repair like Ezekiel…Sorry Evan."

End Confessional

* * *

"And with that, Cassandra and Katrina, though in last place, get to move on to Leg 3 with the other pairs!" Chris announced as Cassandra and Katrina finally crossed the balance beam.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"A win by default, eh? Well, whatever gets _me_ to the end, I guess."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining(Clay, Evan, Julia and Kevin out of the challenge)_

"We're here at Leg 3 of the challenge!" Chris announced as a blindfolded Zubin, Galiris, and Cassandra all got on different toboggans, where Lina, Pierre, and Katrina were all already sitting respectively. "Be careful with this mountain, guys! Lots of dangerous rubble around this time! Contestants ready…..Go!"

Galiris and Pierre took off at lightning speed, followed closely by Zubin and Lina, followed closely in turn by Cassandra and Katrina.

"Right!" Pierre announced as Galiris leaned to the right. "Forwards!"

"Left!" Lina chirped as Zubin shifted his body. "Hole ahead, pull up or we'll wipeout!"

"Left, Right, Left, Left, Lean in more!" Katrina and Cassandra were quickly gaining speed, and slowly but surely overtaking their competition.

"Galiris, we have a problem. Right." Pierre announced as Galiris leaned to the right to avoid a jagged spike in the rough mountain. "We need a way to either lose your Honua friends, or a way to overtake the girls in first."

"Just keep telling me which way to turn!" Galiris leaned forwards. "I can handle fast speeds and rough waves, be they made of water or land!"

"Right!" Pierre announced as he too leaned in. "Right…Left!...Left! Left! Left! Alright Gal, now _hard_ left!"

*THUD*

Pierre and Galiris's toboggan rammed into the backside of Cassandra and Katrina's.

"Hey!" Katrina snapped as she looked over at Pierre, "Get your own path down the mountain!"

"Katrina, what was that, what's going on?" Cassandra asked.

"Just focus on turning when I say, Left!"

Cassandra groaned as she leaned to the left.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Push the other contestants towards undodgeable obstacles. Hasn't that always been the Ka Malu O way?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Gal, hard right!" Pierre announced as Galiris shifted the toboggan to the right, just in time to avoid collision with a field of tire shredders. Katrina and Cassandra were not quite as lucky, and their toboggan toppled over.

"And a wipeout by Cassandra and Katrina!" Chris announced. "They'll have to hike back up and start again...meanwhile, Galiris and Pierre are closing in on the finish line, and Lina and Zubin are right behind them, like owls silently flying through the sky, swooping down!"

By the time Cassandra and Katrina were on their feet again, both the other pairs had crossed the finish line.

"Galiris and Pierre, Lina and Zubin!" Chris announced raising his hands up. "Move on to Leg 4 of the challenge, the close-quarters staring contest!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Woo! I think we might have this one in the bag now! No way Gal can stand looking Pierre in the eyes longer than Zubin and I can stare at each other!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"Only one thing matters when I enter these challenges, and that's winning immunity. I don't care if Pierre gets it to, there's other Ka Malu O to take out, and Honua isn't without its share of Ka Lani distractions either. All I want is to make sure that _I_ 'm not on the receiving end of any votes.

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining(Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Julia, Katrina, and Kevin out of the challenge)_

 _Leg 4_

Galiris and Pierre stood across from each other, as did Lina and Zubin, each contestant with an earpiece, poised to play the confessionals of their partner in their ear.

"Remember…" Chris announced. "The first one to look away from their partner loses the challenge for both of them, and the final pair will move on to the last, special leg of the challenge! Contestants ready…..and...Stare!"

Galiris's stare towards Pierre began to burn with hatred as she listened to his confessional.

* * *

Old Confessional: Pierre

"The sailor girl in Honeymoon with me is clever in her own right, but perhaps not cautious enough. I'll be able to fill her head with all sorts of lies about what my precious Golden Tiki does, and she will in turn spread the misinformation to her own team."

End Old Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, Pierre was listening to some interesting tidbits himself

* * *

Old Confessional: Galiris

"Now, I've got no way to prove what I was just told is true, but what I have learned is that both Victor and Pierre claim that Pierre has the Golden Tiki, and since Pierre hasn't ever talked to Victor to my knowledge, Honua can finally one-hundred percent confirm the Golden Tiki's location. I guess I'll know if what he was telling me is true or not by watching Ka Malu O's next elimination ceremony."

End Old Confessional

* * *

Zubin and Lina were unfortunately, not faring much better, thanks mostly to what Lina was hearing in her own earpiece.

* * *

Old Confessional: Zubin

"There is no way I'm going to actually say that to them right now. I can't be the one taking credit for anything. In fact, all in all, this challenge was a good look for the other contestants into Honua. They're now convinced that Gal is the one calling the shots, and our alliance _is_ going to the final 4 in an ideal world, but I'm certainly not the player they'll be targeting come merge. I actually sort of owe Gal a bit now, I think. The pragmatist in me was about to sacrifice Lina, but it was because of her decision that we managed to win today. I suppose it takes more than strategic know-how to make the correct calls in tense situations. Heh, I guess that's why she's our captain." Zubin laughs a bit at his own humor before the confessional cuts out.

End Old Confessional

* * *

"I was going to be a...sacrifice?" A tear began to roll down Lina's face and while Zubin listened to Lina's own confessional…

* * *

Old Confessional: Lina

"Wow, this is great, Julia's giving away all this information because she thinks I'm a quiet loner! It's too bad for her that Gal's going to hear all about this talk when she gets back from Honeymoon. Honua's finally in a position of undisputed power for once. You think we're going to turn on each other now, when things are going our way? Only Ka Malu O rodents are self-centered enough to think that way. Ooh, trash-talking the other teams _is_ fun!"

End Confessional

* * *

He realized just how much more loyal of an ally Lina could have been had she not just heard the confessional that she heard. A tear began to roll down his face as well.

Out of feelings of betrayal or guilt, they both averted their eyes for a split second, but it was all that was needed.

"Galiris and Pierre win Leg 4!" Chris announced as both Galiris and Pierre ended their staring contest. "Now time to explain Leg 5!"

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin Exterior_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining(Cassandra, Clay, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, and Zubin out of the challenge)_

 _Leg 5_

"Galiris, Pierre…" Chris looked at both Galiris and Pierre. "This is a familiar sight, eh? Congratulations, you both win immunity….is what I'd _like_ to say, but there is still one last game to play today. I'm talking of course about the prisoner's dilemma game from Zero Sum! You will be given ten seconds to decide privately whether to ally with or betray your trust partner for this challenge.

If you both choose to ally, you will in fact both receive immunity, however, the Merge Cabin will remain unlocked, and everyone will be free to move around to their hearts' desire.

If one of you chooses betray, and the other one chooses ally, the betrayer will receive sole individual immunity, the keys to the Merge Cabin, _and_ a clue to One. Final. Twist Tiki.

Finally, if both of you choose betray, _no one_ will win immunity, the cabin will remain open and unlocked, but you will _both_ receive the clue to One. Final. Twist Tiki. Are the rules of this game understood?"

"Yes." Both Pierre and Galiris nodded.

"Then write down your answers on these pieces of paper." Chris announced as he handed both Galiris and Pierre scraps of paper. "Your ten seconds starts...now!"

10…

9…

8…

7…

6…

Pierre wrote down his answer

5…

4…

3…

Galiris wrote down hers

2…

1…

0.

"Time's up!" Chris announced. "Let's see your answers! Pierre, you first!"

Pierre revealed his answer…

…

…

… Betray.

"Galiris?" Chris asked Galiris to reveal her paper as well.

Galiris sighed, clearly agitated, and looking at Pierre with daggers.

She turned her paper around.

…

…

…

… Betray.

"Both contestants have betrayed each other!" Chris announced. "That means _no one_ is safe tonight, but both Galiris and Pierre will receive clues to the location of the last remaining Twist Tiki out in the island!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"This is bad. Pierre just got a clue to another tiki, and Gal thinks they're a waste of time. We _need_ to vote him out tonight, or there may not be another chance."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"I don't have the keys to the cabin, and I don't have my immunity, but at least Pierre doesn't either, and Honua can stay strong...but what Pierre said in the challenge does ring true to me! I can't afford to have any of my alliance distracted with things other than eliminating Ka Malu O, and if that means making an executive decision as the head of my little alliance, then I'll do that!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"On the bench, Clay was coming to me with some weird conspiracy theory about Galiris gunning for him, but I don't buy that at all. Honua hates Ka Malu O almost as much as we do. I wish I could go back to the Merge Cabin with him and Cassandra and get to the bottom of this, but for now, I'll just stick to my gut."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Clay, Galiris, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Pierre, Zubin_

"Sorry, she's busy right now." Katrina guarded the door from Galiris who was trying to enter the room.

"But I want to talk to Lina!" Galiris tried her best, in vain, to peek into the room.

"Sorry, but that's a no go."

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"I learned...in the challenge today...that I'm number four in my Honua alliance, and I might have even been number 5 back when Lucy was still here. That's why I can't be sure that I trust what they're saying to me anymore! I can pretend I'm just upset that I was super close to winning immunity and couldn't do it, and I should fool them well enough, but I think it's clear that no one comes into this game hoping to place 4th, they come in hoping to win, and if that means turning on my Honua friends, then I just might have to slit their throats...metaphorically of course."

End Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, Zubin, Clay, and Cassandra were in Cassandra's room.

"So that's the plan today?" Cassandra asked as Clay kept lookout to make sure no one was listening in on them.

"If we play our cards right, Pierre goes home, and we can forget all about that final twist tiki." Zubin nodded. "Honua's got his votes covered, but just to be safe, we'd like Ka Lani to vote for Katrina. That way if he plays his golden tiki as some after-vote immunity, we still send a Ka Malu O home. It's safe to say none of us want any of them to win the million."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Honua, at breakfast today, seemed to all have a silent agreement on getting rid of Pierre, but that becomes complicated when Pierre has his golden tiki for us to worry bout, which is why now, I want to convince Ka Lani to vote for Katrina. Ideally, none of Ka Malu O will pick up on the plan, but even if they do, they _should_ only catch me campaigning for Katrina's elimination, which ought to make Pierre think himself safe.

End Confessional

* * *

"Just think about not having to deal with that snake anymore." Zubin left the Ka Lani to think about it.

"It sounds like a good plan to me…" Clay admitted to Cassandra as the two whispered closely to each other, "But that's the thing...it feels a little too good to be true, you know? I feel there's someone pulling that guy's strings if he isn't trying to pull ours."

"So what are you thinking?" Cassandra asked. "Vote for Zubin?"  
"I'm thinking we vote Gal." Clay responded.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"Zubin came to Clay and I with this really good plan to split the Ka Lani and Honua votes between Pierre and Katrina, but then Clay comes out and says that Zubin's probably being used by someone, and Galiris is really athletic, smarter than she presents herself to be, and is in the majority alliance, and if we don't take this chance, we might not get another one. Still though, I think Zubin's really smart, and wouldn't put it above him to plot _something_. Going into the vote tonight, I really don't know what's going to happen...but I bet the one that goes home tonight won't see it coming."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Clay

"I'm just having trouble trusting that Honua, after blindsiding Ka Lani at last elimination, has suddenly changed their minds and are now gunning for Ka Malu O, especially when the more athletic people besides Gal are the remaining Ka Lani members. It just doesn't feel right. I want to trust Zubin, he's my roommate here and all, but I already know that I can't trust the rest of his alliance."

End Confessional

* * *

Julia and Pierre were busy attempting to work over Kevin in his and Pierre's third floor room.

"Join us in the vote, and be on the winning side, just an idea." Julia mimicked Heather before leaving.

"I thought she'd never leave." Pierre grinned as he turned to Kevin and closed the door. "Am I correct in assuming you're gunning for me?"  
"Yes." Kevin nodded. "I'm voting for you tonight."

"I have a better idea." Pierre looked around. "You, me, Clay, Zubin, and Evan. There's five of us guys. If we all band together and vote off Katrina, we get the number on the girls, and we can pick them off one by one, next being Cassandra, then Lina, then Julia, and then we'll be at the final six with Galiris, and you two and Zubin can try your hand at beating myself, Clay, and Evan. A true brains vs brawn competournament."

"That idea...is interesting…" Kevin admitted.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"The plan for Honua was to vote for Pierre, but it's true that if Pierre does go, there's nothing to stop the girls from forming some sort of majority alliance and picking the rest of us off. If we eliminate Katrina...then we can reverse the situation and form a boys' alliance, and if Gal is the last girl remaining, then she, Zubin, and I can probably force Pierre, Evan, and Clay out of the competition easily."

End Confessional

* * *

"Who are you thinking tonight?" Julia asked Galiris as they waited in their room.

"Would you be opposed to getting rid of Pierre again?" Galiris asked. "He _did_ keep you from immunity last challenge after all, and we may not get another chance."

"That sounds... _wonderful_." Julia grinned.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"As if! Look Gal, I'll get rid of Pierre again when the time is right, but while he still has that tiki of his, he's a great tool of mine to keep around, especially over you! You think you can influence my vote? You've got another thing coming!"

End Confessional

* * *

"You're upset about something in the challenge aren't you?" Katrina realized as she looked at Lina moping in her bed.

"Yeah…"

"Well, I'm a vote if you want it. We can prove that we can make big games."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I'm not a retard, I know my name is being thrown around out there, and if I have to make nice with the quiet Honua girl and vote with her fragile emotional heart, I will, as long as my name doesn't appear on those slips of paper!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Well, this was….quite the interesting challenge." Chris grinned as he looked over the final ten players on the island. "Kevin, you opted out. Any regrets?"  
"Oh, definitely." Kevin nodded. "I probably really made Evan mad, and now not only does no one have immunity, but Pierre's been given clues to yet _another_ tiki."

"That's a good point." Chris smiled. "Pierre, you now have a clue to the final hidden twist tiki on this island, and Gal's gone on record many times saying that she doesn't believe in them. Essentially, it's yours for the taking, do you think that puts a target on your back?"

"Chris, I _want_ a target on my back." Pierre responded with a smile of his own as he stroked Silivia's chin. "I'm out here trying to make this game come to life for those watching at home, and escaping elimination after elimination is my Modus Operandi. I want all eyes on me, because when all eyes are on me, my tricks blossom and flourish the most."

"It's interesting that you mention escaping elimination when both you and Galiris had the opportunity to share immunity, but instead you _both_ chose to betray each other, and now you're both fair game to eliminate."

"That's true, Chris, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about this whole thing." Galiris responded. "I mean, here I am, in command of a Honua four, but anything's possible in this game. For all I know, Clay and Pierre don't have any rivalry going on at all and instead of 4 vs 3 vs 3, it's a 4 vs 6 scenario."

"Lina, Gal brings up a good point." Chris turned to Lina. "Maybe Ka Lani and Ka Malu O _aren't_ at odds with each other, maybe they realize they need to work together to win, maybe the teams aren't as divided as they would appear to be."

"That's very true, Chris." Lina nodded. "I mean, this morning I was sure I knew who was going to go home, but after this challenge...now I'm not so sure."

"Zubin, she said after this challenge, and as we all know, she had the pleasure of viewing at least one of your past confessionals."

"I can imagine which one it was, too, Chris." Zubin nodded. "And I don't think I day has gone by since the fear challenge where I haven't regretted my actions regarding it. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for Lina to hear what she did, but I think what's important to take away from those confessionals is that they happened in the past, and what _may_ have been true then, may not be true anymore in the present."

"Katrina, that's an interesting insight Zubin has just shared with us." Chris looked at Katrina. "Those confessionals might have been from _ages_ ago, do you think that can discredit them?"

"Confessionals are made to state the truth." Katrina responded. "If it can be true once, it can be true again. Anything said tonight at this elimination ceremony needs to be taken with a grain of salt, including what I'm saying now. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fucking retard."

"Clay, getting pretty hard to tell what's true and what isn't true huh?" Chris asked Clay.

"Chris, you don't know the half of it!" Clay laughed to cope with how on edge he truly was. "First, I get this vote out of nowhere for me, then I have all these different people telling me who it was...It was Pierre, it was Galiris, it was Zubin, it was Katrina...There are only two people that I know didn't vote for me last week, and that's myself and Evan. Hopefully though, if everything goes as planned, I'll know the truth by the end of this elimination ceremony."

"But can you _handle_ the truth?" Julia asked with a grin.

"Wow...everyone's feelings seem to be all over the place." Chris laughed. "Clay, why don't you head up first? It's time to vote."

After Clay had gone, Zubin walked up. After him, it was Kevin.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Sorry about this...but it's my game's best option."

End Confessional

* * *

After Kevin went, Galiris walked up, and then Cassandra.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"You're too much of a threat for your own good right now. Sorry."

End Confessional

* * *

Pierre walked up, then Lina, then Julia, and then Katrina.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

Katrina gives a loud and exasperated sigh.

End Confessional

* * *

Finally, Evan was all that remained.

"Alright Evan." Chris announced. "You're cursed, so stand up, and state your vote."

Evan stood up. He looked at Clay and Cassandra.

He looked at Kevin.

He looked at the Ka Malu O contestants.

"...I vote for….Galiris."

Galiris's eyes widened as Evan sat down.  
"I'll go tally the votes." Chris announced.

He came back with the grin of the Reaper.

"You're going to love this one…" He grinned. "If you receive the most votes, you must come up, ride the Hang Glide of Shame off of the island, and you must give up all hope of winning any money off of this show. I'll read the votes."

He reached his hand into the voting urn.

"Oh, the Curse Tiki votes for Evan, by the way, just thought I'd get that out there." He snickered as he pulled out a real piece of paper.  
"Oh, if anyone has a twist tiki, immunity tiki, or some other tiki and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."

Evan's hand went towards his pocket,

As did Pierre's

As did Zubin's

…

…

… But none of them moved to play their tikis.

"Alright then." Chris announced. "The first vote goes to…Pierre.

The next vote is for...Clay.

Another vote for Pierre.

A second vote for Clay.

One vote for Galiris, counting Evan's vote, that's 2 votes Galiris, 2 votes Clay, 2 votes Pierre, 1 vote Evan, four votes left."

Zubin turned to look at Ka Lani in shock.

"What are you doing?" He mouthed.

Clay gave a sad shrug.

Galiris bit her lip as she looked on nervously.

"One more vote for Galiris...that's 3 votes Galiris, 2 votes Clay, 2 votes Pierre, 1 vote Evan, 3 votes left." Chris continued to speak. "And we have a third vote…

…

…

For Clay. That's 3 votes Galiris, 3 votes Clay, 2 votes Pierre, 1 vote Evan, 2 votes left."

"What's going on?" Kevin nudged Zubin in the shoulder, who returned Kevin's confused look and gave a shrug.

"One vote for Zubin." Chris announced as he pulled Zubin's named out of the urn.

"That's 3 votes Galiris, 3 votes Clay, 2 votes Pierre, 1 vote Evan, 1 vote Zubin, 1 vote left."

Chris reached his hand into the urn, and pulled out the final piece of paper.

"Placing 10th in Total Drama Nui Kaua…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…"

Chris turned the slip of paper over.

"Clay. Sorry bro, I guess that's the game. You'll get to take care of any business you may still need to do in your final confessional. Production will take care of the rest."

"Dammit." Clay groaned as he stood up. "I wish I could've gotten farther, done more…"

He and Evan shared a hug before he moved on to Cassandra.

"*Sniff* I'm gonna miss you…" She said as she wrapped her arms around him. "Look me up after the show, okay, please?"

"Sure thing…" Clay agreed. "Alright then…" He turned to face everyone else.

"It looks like things didn't go the way I'd hoped, but now that I'm eliminated, I'll let you know that I do in fact have the Legacy Tiki, it gives its bearer an advantage in the penultimate challenge, and I'll have to will it to someone new in my final confessional. Good luck finding it now, guys. I plan to hide it well."

Clay sighed and boarded the Hang Glide of Shame. "I do think this elimination proves one thing though, even the seemingly strongest alliances have cracks in them. Evan, Cassandra, give those cracks hell."

And with that, Clay flew off as he caught a breeze.

"I couldn't have said Clay's words any better myself." Chris grinned. "It's clear from those votes all over the place that this truly is _still_ anyone's game. Go ahead and head back to either the Merge Cabin or Kokoke Island. You're all safe...for now."

Chris then turned to the camera.

"We've finally cracked single digits as we reach our final 9!" Chris announced as he gestured upwards with his arms. "How will Cassandra and Evan, the final two Ka Lani, fair now that their communication is limited solely to challenges? What third special trick does Pierre's Golden Tiki hold? Can the Honua alliance survive this gigantic fracture or will the Ka Malu O three manage to take over? Find out barely any of this next time…

On Total!  
Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Clay's Final Confessional

"Shit man...I was so confident when I finally made it to the merge too, only to have all of that confidence shattered. I'm almost certain it was Gal's vote that sent me home, no doubt she really is in cahoots with Ka Malu O now, I guess. I'm proud of the game I played though. It was honest, fair, and I never voted against anyone in my alliance. I played a clean game all the way through, and I'm rooting for Evan and Cassandra to get to the finale for me. But enough about any of that….I have a decision to make, and that's who to will this Legacy Tiki off to...My first instinct is to give it to Evan, but seeing as he's on Kokoke, Pierre would figure that out in a matter of seconds. Instead, I'm going to will it to Cassandra with the trust that she'll find a good hiding spot for it, and won't let it fall into the wrong hands. You've stuck with me since the beginning, Cas. Thank you. This is me returning the favor."

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Cassandra voted for…Galiris_

 _Clay voted for…Galiris_

 _Evan voted for…Galiris_

 _Galiris voted for…Clay_

 _Julia voted for…Clay_

 _Katrina voted for…Clay_

 _Kevin voted for…Pierre_

 _Lina voted for…Zubin_

 _Pierre voted for…Clay_

 _Zubin voted for…Pierre_

 _The Curse Tiki voted for...Evan_


	22. Ep 14: One Man's Tiki

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time, on Total Drama Nui Kaua! The merged contestants created plot after plot after plot to get rid of each other, allies flipping back and forth between different plans with the drop of a hat! As the Final 10's challenge approached, things looked grim for Ka Malu O, with Pierre on the chopping block and Katrina as a backup, all according to the will of the Honu alliance, but proving the old adage true, no good plan survives first contact. Lina and Clay had had the misfortune of hearing Julia and Pierre give a fake conversation painting Galiris as a traitorous mastermind, stoking Clay's paranoia even further and creating room in Lina's brain for doubt. Lina herself was then hit hard again in the immunity challenge, based on trust, when she learned from an old confesional of Zubin's that she was on the bottom of her own alliance! Meanwhile, Pierre had been working on Galiris, his partner for the challenge, by convincing her that Clay was a distraction to her alliance, effectively pitting the lone wolf and the sailor girl against each other.

Later that night, despite Honua's plan to vote Pierre and flush that golden tiki along with its last trick, Ka Lani voted alongside Clay for Galiris instead, a hurt Lina voted for Zubin, and Galiris monetarily allied with Ka Malu O to vote Clay off of the island, leaving Zubin and Kevin confused and in shock at how derailed their plan truly became.

Only nine contestants remain on the island and with Clay's Legacy Tiki now in Cassandra's hands, Honua fractured, and Ka Malu O seemingly more united than ever, there's no telling who will come out on top, but someone is about to trap themselves in a corner and make a million dollar mistake! Find out who right here! On Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_

The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,**_

Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_

The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun**_

The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won**_

A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_

Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana**_

The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous**_

Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Zubin's Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

"We clearly have a lot we need to talk about." Galiris folded her arms.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Last elimination, what was supposed to be a straightforward and concealed vote for Pierre and Katrina backfired immensely, as not only did Katrina receive no votes from Ka Lani, who instead voted for Gal, Honua couldn't even all vote for Pierre. One of us must have voted for Clay, and unless Pierre pulled the same trick twice, I have a feeling that Lina cast the vote with my name on it. That of course would mean Gal's vote went to Clay, and I'm eager to hear why on Earth she would do that. It took a few nights of convincing Lina to show up to a meeting like this apparently, but now that we're all here, hopefully we can reach an understanding, because the merge more then ever is when we need to stick together if we don't want Ka Malu O to keep picking us off."

End Confessional

* * *

"Let's start with the elephant in the room." Kevin rubbed his arm nervously. "There were only two Pierre votes."

"I personally want to know where that fourth Clay vote came from." Zubin agreed with Kevin's decision.

"I voted Clay." Galiris immediately owned her vote. "And from the looks of things, it was a good call. I'd have had to risk some sort of three-way tiebreaker if I had stuck to voting Pierre as originally planned. Now that he's willed his Legacy Tiki off to someone else entirely though, I expect everyone's attention to be focused solely on Honua."

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"Last elimination, I voted for Clay with the Ka Malu O's and in doing so removed the Legacy Tiki from the sight of those who were trying to go after it. I personally couldn't care less about it, but Zubin and Kevin have pulled off tiki-shenanigans before, and both constantly review who has which. I feel the main reason Honua's been having trouble lately is because we can't come to a united decision on how to handle the merge now that we're here. It feels like we've all had different plans. As such, it's my duty as a captain to bring everyone together before we sink our own ship."

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm more concerned with the vote for Zubin to be honest." Kevin looked over at Lina.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Lina was Zubin's partner during the trust challenge, and it didn't look like it ended well. She has the most motive to vote for him. After all, it seems like Ka Malu O is more interested in getting rid of physical threats, the way they tricked Clay and Gal into voting each other."

End Confessional

* * *

"Um…" Lina shifted around where she was sitting. "I heard a confessional of Zubin's during the trust challenge….and basically...I know I'm on the bottom now, so my thinking is...why should I stick around if the three of you are going to vote me out?"

"Well, my obvious answer is that you're not on the bottom. There is no bottom." Galiris responded, confused.

"I'd also like to apologize for that confessional, Lina." Zubin spoke up. "I made it because I was relieved I _didn't_ have to vote for you at the fear challenge's elimination ceremony thanks to Gal forcing me into that final fear challenge. During that entire week I wasn't thinking straight, Gal will vouch for that!"  
"I'd sooner forget that incident." Galiris folded her arms more intensely than before. "In any case though, he's telling the truth Lina. None of us are going to vote you off, and we're going to prove it." She took out a scroll. "I have no love of mine to give these twist tikis, but I know you guys enjoy them, so here. It's my clue to the Love Tiki, the last tiki hidden on the island. You can share it and look for it together before the next challenge. Hopefully before Pierre finds it with his own clue."

"I intend to try and regain some of that trust as well…" Zubin said as he brought out the Maple Tiki and showed it to Lina and Kevin. "This is our secret weapon as Honua." He announced. "If we play this tiki at an elimination ceremony, only the votes that we cast will count towards elimination. Using this, we _do_ have the ability to send whoever we want home, but for that to happen we need to work together." He turned towards Lina. "Lina, truly, I'm so incredibly sorry about what happened, but I swear it's in the past, and we're here in the present. Galiris is right, there is no bottom here in this alliance, I hope you can forgive me."

Lina began to tear up as she spread her arms out and all of Honua engaged in a giant group hug on the floor of the room. "I'm sorry tooooo…" She sniffled through her tears.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"*Sniff*...Well, Honua seems to be on the same page again now, so that's good. We'll talk to each other about who to vote later though. We were quiet enough during our meeting, but you can never be too careful."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"That worked out...better than I expected it to. If it were with any other group of player's my suspicion would be flying off the radar about now, but with Gal, Kev, and Lina...somehow I think it's just in their natures. In any case, our first and foremost priority now...is locating the Love Tiki before Pierre or his snake sink their fangs into it, but we can't all leave to go looking for it and leave Cassandra alone with other Ka Malu O. One of us needs to stay behind, and to that end…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Then you three should probably get to scouring the island for that tiki." Zubin decided. "I need to stay behind and talk to Cassandra."

"Shouldn't Gal do that though?" Kevin wondered. "I mean, she doesn't even like twist tikis."

"That's why I need to be out looking for it with you and Lina." Galiris picked up on Zubin's plan. "If I'm part of the search party, Pierre or his snake may not believe it to be a tiki search party."

"That's...a little hopeful for so small a detail…" Lina expressed doubt before pondering the situation. "Still though, if Cassandra found out you voted for Clay...you wouldn't be able to convince her to vote with Honua. Instead, it should be someone who seemed to be on good terms with Clay, and Zubin was his room mate."

"Precisely." Zubin smiled. "If all goes well, we can take control of the game here and cruise easily to the final four!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"The only hangup is that third Golden Tiki ability, but if we play our cards right, we can goad Pierre into wasting it. Normally, I'd commend strategic play, knowing when to ally with whom, or play certain advantages, but Pierre's specific actions have crossed a line that no good person should cross. He's messing with minds to incite chaos and stepping on his victims to reach higher in the game he's already been voted out of. For that, I'll temporarily let subterfuge go. This time, without question, one Ka Malu O will receive all our votes."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Evan_

"Damnit!" Evan pounded the dirt through his tears as a rather creeped out Victor watched warily.

"Dude, maybe chill for a sec in my own tent? Think you may have heatstroke."

"I couldn't do it! I couldn't save _either_ of them!" Evan looked up to Victor as he snapped with a low growl. "Now Cassandra's the only one left there in a den of...of…Grah!"

"Well that's what Ka Lani gets for trying to be a goody two-shoes team." Victor shrugged. "You know, I'd have been placed on Ka Lani if I had competed this season. I value teamwork and group success quite highly. The issue is you've let yourselves think that means that you're the good guys. You aren't. You're the lawful guys. It's why you were generally working well together throughout most of the challenges. You had a sort of code to follow. That's all I'll say, since I'm supposed to not talk to you much, but man, stop pounding the sand like a two-year-old. You're at the end of your rope and there's nothing else to it. Don't be a fuckin' baby about it."

Evan gave Victor a burning glare of dislike before standing up and walking off into the woods.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"That's the second time! The second time I could have played that Heaven Tiki of mine and kept my allies safe! Now both my girlfriend and best friend on this island are gone! One right after the other! My only hope now rests on Cassandra having found a good way out of this rut that she can share with me during the challenge… Ka Lani can't die out yet, not before bringing a big fish down first."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Game Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Katrina, Julia, Zubin_

Cassandra silently sat in a bean bag while Julia and Zubin played each other in a game of foosball and Katrina sat at a side table reading her book.

"So, where are your crewmates?" Julia jokingly asked Zubin.

"They're out and about, having fun in the sun." Zubin lied. "But where's Pierre? The two of you have seemed joined at the hip since his return to the competition."

"They've seemed joined at more than just the hip." Cassandra smirked from her bean big, causing Zubin to chuckle and actually managing to get a snicker from Katrina.

"Make fun all you want, Ka Lani. You leave soon anyways."

"I don't understand." Zubin's brow rose. "No offence to you Cassandra, but you certainly are no threat to Ka Malu O, at least compared to someone like Evan or Gal."  
"That's the point, maple-head." Julia mimicked Gwen. "Evan's cursed, so we're voting him off by forcing a tiebreaker. Then we'll get rid of Cassandra, and then we can work on your sick friendship group alliance."

"How? You only have three votes besides the Curse Tiki." Cassandra noted. "There's still six more votes in circulation."

"Oh, I doubt Evan will vote for anyone other than Pierre." Katrina sighed from her table. "The harlequin has given him too much of a reason to act on an already present hatred.

"And then there's you Cassandra." Julia smiled. "Do you really want to vote with the alliance that got rid of Clay?"

"What are you talking about?" Zubin stopped playing foosball. " _Your_ alliance spearheaded getting rid of Clay!"

"Then where'd we get our fourth vote, Z?" Julia mimicked Scott. "These Honua are sneaky, Cas, you watch your back around them! Don't believe a word!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"My current job is driving a wedge between the Honua and Ka Lani contestants, and the best way to do that is to exploit Cassandra's current emotional state. Meanwhile, Pierre and his pet snake are out looking for the Love Tiki as well as crafting a fake one, and Katrina is… also here, I guess."

End Confessional

* * *

"I don't have time for this right now…" Cassandra sighed as she stood up. "I'm taking a nap before the challenge."

As Cassandra headed to her room, Zubin stayed behind with Katrina and Julia.

"What?" Katrina asked as she noticed Zubin staring at her.

"Don't feel compelled to stick to these jesters." Zubin decided to see where this would lead him. "If they have something over you, it can't be that bad."  
"Why do you assume I'm being kept part of this alliance against my will?"

"Because you clearly don't like Pierre or Julia, and are probably on the bottom of their arrangement."

"You'd be incorrect. I'm in full control." Katrina responded. "The fools can be fools for as long as they wish to be. Meanwhile, I'll get the actual work done, and as long as I have their votes, I don't need to ditch either of them, though I'd much prefer even your retard teammate to these addlepates."  
Zubin's hand clenched into a fist.

"You're lucky I have too much moral integrity to hit you, even for so brazenly insulting a kind guy you know absolutely nothing about. I suppose I should thank you, actually, for reaffirming my prior conviction. Now I swear it, I will see one of you go home tonight."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"What? I was just stating a fact. He should be proud I'd rather take the autist than these carnees I'm stuck with."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Ugh, Katrina you….Oh my freaking….Well, that's just great. We've gone and gotten Honua determined to undermine us now. We weren't supposed to prod them that hard until the final seven!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, miss 187 has sure ruined the mood" Julia sighed, mainly just looking for an excuse to leave the cabin and find the rest of the Honua players in order to undo whatever patching they'd attempted since the last bonfire ceremony. "I'm out of here."

As she left, Zubin too decided there wasn't much point in hanging around and began to leave the room before unexpected words from Katrina stopped him.

"If you vote Julia tonight and help me get rid of her, I'll vote with you against Pierre when you want to get rid of him. I'll throw in the Chris Tiki too, if you're up for it."

"I'll...consider it." Zubin was careful to not read too heavily into the proposal, but it did sound fine on paper.

"You should, it's the best move." Katrina somewhat scoffed at his hesitance before Zubin truly did leave the game room.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"There's something that my fellow Ka Malu O players fail to remember, and that' the fact that they're both proven deceitful snakes. I, however, am fairly good when it comes to keeping my word, because I'm not some obsessive idiot. Frankly, those two have too many people against them to be a safe choice to ally with, and Honua increasingly becomes the team to join with every passing week."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Cassandra's Room)_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Zubin_

Cassandra entered her room and noticed that her bag was on her bed.

"The hell is this, McLean?" She complained as she searched through her belongings, before noticing the parcel that had been left behind in her bag. With an eyebrow raised, Cassandra pulled out the small package and opened it up, revealing the tiki and a small letter.

"Oh-!" She gasped as she dropped the tiki on the bed and brought her hands up to her mouth while trying to hold tears back from falling.

"Clay...you're tiki...I…"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"I now have Clay's Legacy Tiki, which means it's up to me to keep it out of the hands of those who aren't Ka Lani. The first thing I need to do is let Evan know that I have this bad guy, and strategize with him to determine exactly what we can do to get through this. There's nine of us left now, and hey, last season there was a pair of players that managed to survive to the final four so it's not like Ka Lani's dead just yet!"

End Confessional

* * *

After Cassandra had paced around her room for a few minutes, marveling at the Legacy Tiki and contemplating what Ka Lani's best course of action would be, she heard a knock on her door, followed by Zubin's voice.

"Cassandra, may I come in? There's something important I want to take to you about."

"Give me your honest answer." Cassandra only opened the door a tad after shoving the Legacy Tiki back into her belongings. "Did. Honua. Vote. Clay?"

"One member did, but it wasn't me, and that issue has been resolved." Zubin answered as honestly as he was willing. "Cassandra, this is important. We need to get rid of a Ka Malu O before it's too late."

"I...I simply can't trust the word of a single contestant alone." Cassandra shook her head. "I need to talk things over with Evan before Ka Lani makes any commitment to any sort of deal."

"It isn't a deal." Zubin shook his head. "It's a warning. Why do you think these past few eliminations have seemed so all over the place? It's because Ka Malu O are manipulating the votes in their favor. If even one of them leaves though, their agency is stunted severely. Obviously, Pierre is the biggest target if we can't goad him into using his last Golden Tiki power prematurely."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Hm...now that I've proposed the idea...that could be a way out of this mess...get someone to _force_ Pierre to play his hand. The longer we don't know what it is, the more time he has to sow paranoia in us after all."

End Confessional

* * *

"Just...think about it and we can talk after the challenge okay?" Zubin decided there wasn't much reason to still stay around the Merge Cabin and left the room after Cassandra gave him a wary nod.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"Okay, so now all of a sudden, it appears that Evan and I have the power to actually change the status quo of things on the island! If we _were_ to team up with Honua, we could easily overpower any Ka Malu O vote, but if we voted with Ka Malu O, we'd be able to finally break up that Honua four for good! I honestly don't know if I want to attempt either though...they both leave certain bad tastes in my mouth. If only there was a way to kill both birds with one stone…" Cassandra ponders for a bit before looking at her bag. "Hmm...I wonder…"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Galiris, Kevin, Lina, Pierre_

"You should give up while you can, Honua captain, cabin boy, and bottom rung!" Pierre laughed as all four of the contestants in question rushed through various areas of the forest, looking for the marked patch of ground where the Love Tiki would allegedly be buried. "Silivia and my splendiferous self have this particular battle won!"

"Well I say it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings!" Galiris retorted.

"Kevin, I've got this area!" Lina exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "You go check in that direction!"

"R-right!" Kevin nodded as they both split up and went their separate ways.

What ensued was a shaky race around the entire forest.

Pierre and Silivia looked under various tree roots to no avail.

Galiris scoured so far north she reached the Muliwai River and had to turn back, frustrated.

Lina dug through various piles of leaves and continuously came up short.

Kevin timidly looked under a multitude of rocks, finding nothing but bugs and worms, and certainly no signs of any tiki.

"Ah!" Someone gave a hushed gasp as they reached down, noticing a bundle somewhat buried in the ground not terribly far from the derelict Honeymoon Cabin. Their hands opened the bundle up to reveal what was, in fact, the Love Tiki, created to take the shape of two hearts put together as though they were some kind of hourglass, accompanied by a letter with instructions on how to use the final Twist Tiki of the game.

As he picked up the tiki, he quickly rushed back.

Finally, he found who he was looking for.

"I found it!" Kevin held out the tiki to Galiris. "I found your tiki!"

"Yes! Way to go, Kev!" Galiris threw her arms around him as all his muscles relaxed.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Soooofffftttt…."

End Confessional

* * *

"Now, we just need to find Lina and be on our way, before Pierre notices we've got it." Gal rushed off to look for Lina. "You head back and talk to Zubin!" She suggested. "He'll be pleased to know we kept it out of Ka Malu O hands!"

Kevin nodded and started on his way back when he heard the familiar buzz of the island loudspeakers.

"Hello, Final 9!" Chris exclaimed, somewhat agitated. "I hope you're all in the mood for some real _fun_ today, because our challenge is a bit impromptu this time. Meet me at the Nui Kaua Docks for a ride to Kokoke Island, where I'll explain the challenge in detail, and _please_ hurry this time!"

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Alright, listen up and listen good!" Chef barked at all the remaining players. "We had a challenge planned for y'all where you'd run around Kokoke tossing bean bags into bins worth different points, but _someone_ -" He glared a Chris who winced. "Thought it'd be a good idea to fill the bean bags with rocks, and it weighed the boat down so much it sank 'fore we could get the cargo to the island. _Your_ task is to dive down into the shipwrecks underwater just off this shore and grab all 100 bean bags we need, understand, Privates?"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" All the contestants saluted and stood at attention.

"Good, then get on with it! I don't wanna see no slackin'!"

* * *

 _Challenge: S.C.U.B.A. (Shipwreck Canvassing Underwater for Bean bags dropped by Accident)_

 _Rules: Contestants will be diving under the water to search shipwrecks near the shore of Nui Kaua to retrieve various bean bags. Contestants may only bring a single bean bag up at a time, and must hand it off to Chris and Chef before heading back into the water._

 _Once all 100 bean bags have been obtained, the player with the most retrieved will be deemed the winner of the challenge, Immunity, and the Merge Cabin keys._

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island Offshore Shipwrecks_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

 _Time Elapsed: 0 Minutes, Bean Bags Collected: 0/100_

Almost immediately, Galiris surfaced with a bean bag.

"Got one!" She announced as she quickly brought it to Chef and Chris before heading back into the water.

"Got one again!" She rose up just a tad later.

"Bwah...again?" Cassandra asked, shocked, as she surfaced with her own first bean bag.

* * *

Confessional: Galiris

"An aquatic challenge, is it? May as well hand me an' Honua our immunity now, skip the shipwreck cleaning!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"Is there, like, _any_ sort of challenge that Galiris won't have some sort of advantage in? Girl's been a beast ever since the merge happened."

End Confessional

* * *

"Pierre is on the board!" Chris announced as Pierre and Julia both surfaced from the water and handed off bean bags. "Julia as well!"

The two gave quick smiles at each other before both heading back into the water.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"This challenge...is decidedly not fantabulous. Silivia has no usagency in this water, so rather than truly attempt any victory, I'll observe this time. Even if one of my current targets manages to win immunity, I'll be able to easily shift my aim to one of the other targets. Besides, I have a feeling I'll _want_ to appear vulnerable tonight."

End Confessional

* * *

Next, Evan surfaced, followed hastily by Cassandra, who stopped him before he could go back into the water.

"Evan, we need to talk about what we're going to do now that it's just us."

"That's easy, kick Pierre off this island." Evan decided. "I'll bet plenty of Honua want him gone too."

"Well, yes, that's true from what I hear." Cassandra responded "However, I think it may be too early to decide on voting for Pierre when he still has that tiki. I was thinking we aim for one of the other two?"

"You do what you want." Evan decided. "I'm voting Pierre, and you can either get the others to vote with me or not. What matters is that I'm sure it's his fault Clay's gone, and I want to make it known that I'm not going to let him off easy. I'll do everything in my power to see him eliminated."

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Call it selfish or foolish all you like, but you don't mess with minds the way that viper is. I'm not afraid of some tiki he has. Heck, for all I know the third trick to his tiki is that he gets to keep it. There's a chance there's no power at all behind it anymore. That's why my vote will remain for Pierre, and only Pierre, until I can finally watch him leave that island."

End Confessional

* * *

"I'll see what I can do then…" Cassandra decided the challenge was too important to waste too much time debating with Evan.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"So, Evan certainly seems distant now, and that's...a little worrying, but as long as I know who he's voting for, I should be able to think up an _actual_ plan of action to take."

End Confessional

* * *

As Cassandra was leaving, Zubin surfaced with another bean bag.

"Was that Evan I just saw?" He asked Cassandra while she returned a nod. "Did you guys talk?"

"He's not budging from voting Pierre, but _I'm_ willing to blindside one of the girls in his alliance with my own vote."

"Interesting…" Zubin mused. "I think I have an idea on how to use this to our collective advantage. We can talk more after one of us that isn't Ka Malu O wins immunity. We'll use the keys to separate ourselves from our targets so they can't interfere with any talks. First though, we need to make sure they don't win this challenge."

"Right." Cassandra agreed as they separated once again.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"So, Evan is determined to vote Pierre off, is he? That sounds like a great way to force the snake-trainer's hand and drag that tiki's final power into the light. Just to be safe though, I should try my best to win this challenge. If this backfires, I'd obviously rather be safe from elimination."

End Confessional

* * *

After Cassandra had surfaced twice more to bring bean bags to Chris, Kevin and Zubin both surfaced at around the same time.

"Kev, hey!" Zubin smiled, somewhat out of breath. "How's the Love Tiki hunt go-"

Kevin swam up to Zubin and whispered in his ear.

"I found it."

Zubin's eyes widened. "For real?!"

"Yeah." Kevin nodded as he took the parcel out of his bathing shorts pocket.

"Dude, you just snatched a tiki Pierre was looking for away from him, that's badass! Great job man!" Zubin gave Kevin a quick high-five.

"Do we know what it does?"

"Haven't read it yet." Kevin admitted. "Chris took us to the challenge right after I told Gal that I found it. I'm not sure if she's been able to tell Lina yet, but she said she would."

"That's good then." Zubin sighed. "We can read it over as a group later."

"Hey!" Chris called to both Kevin and Zubin through his megaphone. "Are you two going to just tread water all day or can I have those bean bags back?"

* * *

 _Time Elapsed: 20 Minutes, Bean Bags Collected: 53/100_

"We are now twenty minutes in…" Chris announced as players began to bring in some more bean bags to him. "In the lead we have both Zubin and Cassandra with 9 bean bags each, Kevin close behind with 8, Galiris and Lina both with 6, Julia with a score of 5, Evan with 4, and Katrina and Pierre both at the bottom with 3!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"As seems to be the freaking custom, I'm left as the only member of my team actually _trying_ to win the challenge, but as is _also_ the freaking custom, I'm overshadowed by those _freaking_ Honua! I still haven't forgiven sailor girl for locking me in our room by the way! If I had my way, she'd be out of here the second anyone whose name doesn't start with a G wins immunity."

End Confessional

* * *

"Argh!" Evan surfaced from the water in frustration. "I can't freaking find any!" He turned to Chris. "Are you sure there were 100 of them?"

"They're definitely down there, bro." Chris responded through the megaphone. "I suggest you try looking harder, yeah?"

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"This is just freakin' perfect. If Cassandra wins immunity and the Ka Lani vote-off trend continues, then I'm the next one to be booted."

End Confessional

* * *

"Katrina!" Julia shrieked as Katrina surfaced with a bean bag. "So help me, if you don't start actually trying right now, I'm teaming up with Honua to get rid of you!"

"Fuckin' fine, jeez, anything for you to stop talking so loudly." Katrina reluctantly acquiesced to Julia's concerned order as she quite clearly began to speed up swimming.

It wasn't long before Katrina returned yet again,

And again.

And again.

"Katrina quickly closing a gap between her and the top contenders, but Gal, Lina, Kevin, Zubin, Cassandra, all also widening their lead! Especially Kevin, coming back with his thirteenth bag already!"

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

Kevin is panting heavily, but manages to smile into the camera. "If I can find the Love Tiki….I should be able to...win an immunity challenge…"

End Confessional

* * *

"Zubin close behind him with his eleventh!" Chris announced as Zubin and Cassandra both surfaced. "Cassandra also closing the gap with the same amount!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Man, Kev, I'm really glad your part of my alliance, but I also _really_ need immunity for the risky move we'll be making tonight, think you could ease up on me just a little?"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"I think it's painstakingly clear that Ka Malu O are targeting the Ka Lani members, and thanks to Evan's Curse Tiki, I'll bet I'm on the chopping block, so I _need_ this immunity."

End Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, Pierre had surfaced, swam back to the island, and began to watch.

"Pierre, you do realize a challenge is going on right now, right?" Chris asked.

"Of course, I'm surveilobserving the others during the challenge. I've noticed a few conversations between contestants I'd rather not see conversing, so the inteclues I gather here will be helpful in formuventing my planegy."

The camera shifts over to where Evan had recently surfaced with a bean bag. He looks directly into it, cleary just...done.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Pierre butchers our language so terribly that I think my grunts and animal noises may be more effective forms of communication than even two minutes with that guy."

End Confessional

* * *

A while later, both Lina and Katrina surfaced from the water.

"Hey!" Lina piped up. "I thought you said you'd vote with me last elimination, but you didn't!"

"Of course I fucking didn't. If I did, your precious captain would have been voted off. I did you a fucking favor."

"A favor? A favor? Well if I wasn't the bottom of my alliance before, I definitely am now!"

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Look, I get that we've made up and all, but there's no way that Gal, Kevin, and Zubin are going to forget my voting for one of our own any time soon. Once we're in the final four, I don't see myself heading into the three without an immunity win. And Katrina promised to vote with me last elimination only to then not do the one thing she said she would do!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, then maybe you should flip to a different alliance. It's not like Pierre and Julia don't have clear expirations dates on them." Katrina suggested. "I'll be in the market for one myself. Stick with whatever you have planned for now, but if we're both still here at 8, I see no reason not to join with Cassandra and Evan. They'll take whatever numbers they can get."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"At this moment, what I'm telling Lina is merely a thought of a possibility of a chance. In no way am I committing myself to such a risky plan without first knowing _exactly_ how everyone ticks. If that means I may have to get up from my book a bit during down time now, so be it, but it's getting to the point where clearly a Ka Malu O path isn't going to win me my million dollars."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Time Elapsed: 40 Minutes, Bean Bags Found: 90/100_

"We are now a full forty minutes in!" Chris announced as a few contestants surfaced to give him some bean bags. "Right now, Cassandra, Zubin, and Kevin are all tied for first place with 13 bean bags each! Following them is Galiris with 11, and Lina with 10. They both could still catch up and clench a win! Julia and Katrina in the middle with 9 and 8 respectively, might be harder for them, Evan with 7, meanwhile Pierre only has 6! It would take a miracle for either of them to win immunity now, but could be one of the greatest comebacks in Total Drama history!"

"Lina!" A thought clicked in Gal's head. "Lina, we should take a backseat. Zubin and Kevin have the best chance of winning immunity right now so we should focus on stopping the others from grabbing bean bags!"

"U-um...right!" Lina hesitantly agreed.

The women faced an easier challenge than they had bargained for, as Pierre was no longer even trying, Evan was so frustrated that he was missing otherwise easily spottable bean bags, and Julia and Katrina were busy arguing with each other. That left only Cassandra to deal with.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"So, Cassandra turned to be pretty strong and well, watching Gal and her go toe to toe was kind of eye-opening."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gahh!" Galiris flailed around in the water as Cassandra did her best to push past her and get out of her grip.

"You've got this, Gal!" Lina could only really give encouragement. "Way to be a team player!"

"The hell is going on over there?" Evan noticed Galiris and Cassandra having their scuffle. His frustration at not being able to find many bean bags soon channeled itself into anger and Galiris for voting Clay off, and he began to swim out towards the girls.

"You get off of her, you Honua wench!" He shouted as he jumped on Galiris, forcibly tearing her from Cassandra.

Galiris once again began to flail and struggle, this time to escape a grasp rather than to keep her own.

Lina looked over to where Kevin and Zubin had both surfaced.

"Help her!" She pointed.

Upon seeing it, Kevin, without hesitation, tossed his bean bag and swam towards the fight.

Cassandra quickly dove to find her own bean bag and began to swim back towards Chris.

Meanwhile, as Kevin reached the struggling Evan and Galiris, he took quite a few blows to his arms, legs, back, and gut as he forcibly pushed Galiris through Evan's hold, setting her free.

"Why you-!" Evan shouted

"Grab on!" Galiris shouted to Kevin as well as she motioned for him to grab onto her shoulders before she power stroked through the water, away from Evan, and onto land.

"Kevin, are you okay?" She gasped as she began looking him over.

"A-are you?" Kevin, asked, panting.

"Oh, you idiot…" She smiled as she brought him in for a hug. "You have to stop getting hurt for my sake. I'm a big girl you know, I can take care of myself."

"I know...I just…" Kevin sighed. "I was mad and wanted to help."

Their moment of peace was then ruined by Chris's megaphone.

"We're in the final leg of our challenge!" He announced.

"Both Cassandra and Zubin have 17 bean bags to their names, and there is only one bean bag left!"

Kevin stood up, realizing it was likely the one he tossed. As he did, Galiris seemed to frown at him breaking their hug.

"Zubin!" He called. "Left!"

Zubin spent half a second wondering what Kevin meant, before catching on and moving to the left.

"Stop! Dive!"

"Oh no you don't!" Cassandra quickly swam to where Zubin was, gaining on him.

Both players dove under the water at roughly the same time, while everyone else looked on.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ah, this is perfect. So those two are the ones who feel most threatened by tonight's vote. An interesting infoclue indeed. Now to piece it together with the clues that Silivia has been taking note of in the unguarded Merge Cabin."

End Confessional

* * *

"Oh, it looks like someone's about to surface!" Chris announced as bubbles began to rise up where the two contestants had dived down.

Zubin's head rose from the water.

"Does he have it?" Chris wondered.

Cassandra's head also rose from the water.

Everyone looked on as they both began to swim towards Chris.

Eventually, even though they were neck and neck, it became clear who had the bean bag.

"And the winner" Chris began to announce "of this challenge, immunity, and the keys to the Merge Cabin is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Zubin!" He cheered as Zubin handed him the final bean bag. "Zubin wins immunity and is safe tonight at the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony!"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Oh! Oh thank goodness! Oh man, this was so important! Now we can finally set this plan in motion."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Exterior)_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

After Pierre and Julia had rushed into the Merge Cabin to avoid being locked out into the elements, Zubin locked them in.

"Alright." He smiled as he turned to Cassandra, Galiris, Katrina, Kevin, and Lina. "Katrina, have you given any thought to our conversation from before? I think now may be a great time to get rid of Julia. Pierre's probably expecting us to vote his way, and Evan will confirm as much with his vote tonight, right Cassandra?"

"Yeah." Cassandra nodded. "He seemed adamant about it, and I can understand it, but I also know there's his overpowered tiki in the mix so we shouldn't put all our eggs in the Pierre basket."

"Because you don't strike me as an idiot like so many of the others, I'll be honest with you." Katrina turned to Zubin. "I don't think it's in my best interest to get rid of Julia at this moment. But I'm not discounting other threats in the game. What I want you, all of you, to know is that if you come to me with an offer I deem worthy, I'll take you up on it."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I think there's something to be said that even though she didn't win, Galiris was still dominant compared to many others during this challenge, and if perhaps she was focused solely on collecting her bean bags, she'd be walking away with another victory. That athletic prowess is a _scary_ thing this late in the game. Meanwhile, I trust Pierre and his tiki as far as I can throw them, and the sooner they leave the better. I'll still give voting Julia some thought, but she hasn't betrayed _me_ yet, so I may want to keep her around a bit longer for the numbers."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, the rest of us all agree on Julia, right?" Zubin looked around at everyone who gave firm nods. "Good, in that case, Katrina, we already have the majority, so vote however you want as long as it isn't Evan."

"Pfft." Katrina rolled her eyes. "As if I'd vote him off. The more time he spends in exile on Kokoke the less a physical threat he becomes. That's nothing but beneficial to all of us."

"Then...we have a deal? A plan that's set in stone?" Cassandra looked around, hope in her eyes.

Everyone agreed.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"YES! Oh my frick, yes! Ka Lani lives to fight another day! Don't you worry Clay, I've managed to save both Evan and I a few more days on this island. We can still turn this around, and I've already found a way to make use of the tiki you've willed to me!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"So the plan is to vote off Julia...but I mean, last elimination the plan was to vote off Pierre and look how that turned out. I suppose that now that we've locked the true troublemakers up, we won't have anyone swayed into a move they regret making."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin(Interior)_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Pierre_

"Crap, crap, crap!" Julia struggled with the locked door. "We've been locked inside!"

"That's fine." Pierre snickered as he pet Silivia.

"NO, it's NOT fine, Pierre! This is the OPPOSITE of fine! Who knows what they're all talking about out there! I bet they're thinking up a way to flush your tiki while voting me off or something!"

"Yes, that's the smartest move to make for certain." Pierre nodded just as calmly as before.

"Don't worry though, Julia. I have a wonderful ace up my sleeve. Truth be told, it's a gigantic gamble, but so long as I have your word that you'll vote for whom I ask tonight, We can really shake things up in our favor."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Now, to up the ante, and begin my greatest and most spectacular trick yet. I'll be honest, there's risk involved in this one. A lot of risk, but the safe route won't make me shine the way this one will!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome, Final 9, to this week's Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony." Chris smiled. "So, a lot seems be happening among you guys going by what I saw last time you were here. Votes were all over the place. Zubin, how much of a relief is your immunity tonight?"

"It's a huge relief, Chris." Zubin answered. "I honestly think I speak for everyone here when I say that without immunity, there's always this voice in your head whispering that everyone is going to vote for you, and to know that I can't be voted out tonight is a huge weight off my shoulders. It allows me to think more clearly, I believe, rather than worry about surviving for just one night."

"So you think this vote will go your way tonight?"

"Now, I never said that." Zubin laughed nervously. "I'd _like_ it to, obviously, but you know, we have freakin' Pierre over here with his tiki of many tricks, one of which we still don't know what it is yet. Basically, until he gets rid of that third power, he's public enemy number one."

"Pierre, Zubin brings up a good point." Chris smirked. "You have an incredibly powerful tiki in your possession. In all but the wrong hands, it's the most powerful tiki in the game. That, coupled with you being a returning player, puts a pretty huge target on your back, dude."

"And let it stay on my back!" Pierre answered with an excited grin. "A target is a target. It won't get hit if no one takes a shot first."

"So your basically saying "hey, if you want to see me play my tiki's last trick, you have to risk voting me out" right?"

"Oh, don't spoil it like that, Chris." Pierre laughed. "In any case though, if I _am_ eliminated tonight, would you do me the honors of bringing Silivia to playa de losers? I left her back in the Merge Cabin, since she was out all day looking for the Love Tiki which we haven't found. She's tired."

"Uh, sure thing man." Chris nodded. "But let's move on to something else, Cassandra! Since Evan can't talk until his last vote, I want you to tell me, how safe do you think Ka Lani is right now? I mean, since the merge, Nixia was blindsided, then Clay just last week. If we follow the pattern, that would put you or Evan on the chopping block!"

"That's why I wanted to win immunity so badly, Chris!" Cassandra replied. "I definitely remember Julia threatening me earlier to the extent of my elimination being a forgone conclusion."

"Well, I mean, of course I'll say that." Julia mimicked Courtney. "This is a battle for _one million_ dollars. That's a lot of cash, and why would Ka Malu O align with you or Evan anyways? So long as each one of you is eliminated before the final three, the holding of Clay's Legacy Tiki doesn't matter at all."

"Well, that's only assuming her Ka Malu O is still three-strong." Galiris piped up. "But given their nature, I think that's probably not the case."

"Kevin, a lot of talk about alliances staying strong or breaking apart. After the events of last elimination, how strong would you say your current alliance is?"

"I'll be honest, Chris...I don't know how strong our alliance is, but I do know that I trust them the most right now, and I'm putting my faith in them to stick to the plan this time."

"So there is a plan" Chris grinned.

"Well of course there's a plan, Chris." Lina spoke up. "But sometimes maybe what one person considers a good plan, someone else considers bad. I think there are two different levels, on the surface there's the group's plan. The plan that's vocal among all members of an alliance. On the other end though, there are these individual plans that everyone has for themselves. Like Julia said, it's a competition for a _lot_ of money, and as unfortunate as it may be, one of us won't be able to stay in the game after tonight."

"Katrina…" Chris looked at Katrina as she herself looked up from her book. "It sounds like this elimination is an important, tone-setting one. What do _you_ think this elimination will signify?"

"This elimination…" Katrina paused to think. "Is going to determine whether the sand castle alliances built up more by team situation than by choice are going to hold or crumble back down onto the beach."

"So, basically, it will decide whether someone, or no one, is in control of this game." Chris attempted to translate Katrina's metaphor.

"Sure, if you want to view it that way." She shrugged.

"In that case…" Chris smiled. "It is time to vote. Katrina, you're up first."

Katrina got up, and wrote a name down.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"You're my personal biggest threat right now, so naturally, you have to go."

End Confessional

* * *

Galiris went up after Katrina.

After Galiris, Kevin walked up.

After Kevin came back, it was Zubin's turn.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Julia, I'm sorry to do this to a fan of the show, but we need to break up you and Pierre, and you don't have a tiki to worry about."

End Confessional

* * *

Once Zubin returned, Cassandra was sent up.

After she came back, it was Pierre's turn, and after him, it was Julia.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"See ya, wouldn't want to be ya…"

End Confessional

* * *

After Julia came back, Lina was sent up as the last person to privately cast a vote.

"All right." Chris announced as Lina came back. "Evan it is your turn to-"

"Hold on first, Chris." Pierre snickered as he stood up. "I'd like to play my tiki's final power, however, before I reveal what it is, I'd like Evan to cast his vote."

"I vote for you, asshole." Evan wasn't intimidated.

Not even when Pierre's smile grew even wider.

"Chris, may I?" He asked. Chris gave a nod with an equally devilish grin.

"I play my Gold Tiki's final trick!" Pierre announced loudly. "Blessed Curse! I'm allowed to forcibly shift possession of the Curse Tiki from any one contestant to myself, but the night I do it, both the Curse vote and any votes cast against me, Evan's for instance, shift over to my own named target. Namely..." Pierre pointed a wicked finger. "Galiris."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"What I _won't_ tell the others is that because I've done this, the Curse Tiki will also die with me when I'm eliminated, basically getting rid of the one advantage this tiki could give you, because as long as they think I can curse one of them, they may avoid voting me off."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well now…" Chris grinned. "This _is_ interesting. Time to see how well this worked. I'll go tally the votes."

After a few minutes Chris came back. "The votes have been tallied. If anyone has any other type of tiki and wants to play it now would be the time to do so."

"Chris-" Kevin stood up before being stopped by Galiris.

"Don't." She glared.

"But…."

"Don't." She shook her head, and gave a more gentle plead.

Kevin sat back down.

"Wow...that's never happened before." Chris grinned. "A contest, one with clear votes against her, _stopping_ another one from playing an artifact in her favor. Galiris...what is the thought process right now?"

"I agree what Kevin would play is definitely in my own favor." She responded. "But it isn't in _Honua_ 's favor. I'd like for him to hold onto that a little longer. It could be our saving grace in the final 8 or final 7."

"In that case, I'll read the votes. Galiris, thanks to Evan's vote for Pierre and Pierre's tiki effect, you start with two votes against you."

"I understand."

"Alright. I'll read the votes, whoever has the most votes cast against them must immediately board the Hang Glide of Shame and leave the island as well as the competition for the million dollar prize...the next vote is for...Julia."

"The next vote...Julia again. We are now tied. Two votes Julia, two votes Galiris."

Lina squeezed Galiris's hand as Zubin brought his hands up to his chin and looked on, feeling uneasy about what was to come.

"Next vote...Julia. That's three votes Julia, two votes Galiris.

…

…

Galiris. We're tied with 3 votes Julia, 3 votes Galiris."

Kevin grasped Galiris's other hand, while Julia gripped Pierre's.

"Pierre, doesn't count, it's changed to Galiris thanks to Pierre's tiki. That's four votes Galiris.

…

…

…

…

Another vote for Julia. That's four votes Julia, four votes Galiris, two votes left."

"Where did that second vote for Pierre come from?" Kevin wondered to Zubin.

"It doesn't matter if no one else votes Gal." Zubin responded.

"Evan, we're safe." Cassandra whispered to Evan. "And you're not cursed anymore!"

"I know, I can hardly believe it…" Evan's eyes were wide.

"Another vote for Julia." Chris announced. "That's five votes Julia, four votes Galiris, one vote left. The final vote is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Galiris. We're tied five to five."

"No problem, I'll beat _Julia_ in a tiebreaker." Galiris shrugged. "It's physical right?"

"While the next tiebreaker on our list _is_ a physical contest in nature, you won't be participating in it. After all, for this vote and this vote alone, The Curse Tiki's vote is for you."

"The Curse Tiki automatically loses ties." Pierre grinned. "Sorry sailor girl."

"No!" Kevin stood up as Galiris also stood with a disappointed sigh. "Why didn't you let me play the tiki? We could have gone to Honeymoon and-" He couldn't say the rest of the words, but threw his arms around her.

"It's better for Honua, this way, Kevin." Galiris smiled, returning the hug. "Now you have two powerful tikis to use, and I won't be here to stop you."

"I….I really like you though...I don't want you to leave…I wanted to go far in the game with you, and then maybe you'd be my girlfriend...but now that's not going to happen..."

"Well, maybe not the way you wanted it to." Galiris laughed before planting a kiss on Kevin's head. "But come to me after the show is over and ask me out. Since I like you too, I'm bound to say yes. For now though, a great way to prove you like me is to take over Honua in my absence. I leave them to you, okay? Now come on, I did just lose, so I do have to go."

Galiris gave a friendly wave to everyone before catching a gust of wind on the Hang Glide of Shame.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"You have _got_ to be kidding me! Of all the people to be blindsided tonight why did it have to be the challenge beast of our alliance? I'm glad I won immunity this week and everything, but I don't expect to win it again and again! But now we _need_ an immunity win because we no longer hold a solid majority, and I can only imagine what Lina might do without Gal to reign her in."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"So, I'm a little upset that my vote was stolen like that, but Galiris was a bona fide threat, and while I probably would have changed my vote from Pierre to Julia if I had _known_ what that tiki did beforehand, it doesn't change the fact that your survivalist boy is curseless now! Awooo! Time to come back from the bottom and put Ka Lani back on top where we belong!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"So, Pierre and Julia seemed to have hatched this whole Galiris scheme without me, and that pisses me the fuck off. I'd have voted with them if I knew that's what they were doing, but they said nothing to me, not even the fuckin' mimic who never shuts up. It's proven to me that they aren't looking out for my best interests anymore, so for all intents and purposes, I am now a solo agent in this game. Team banners be damned."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well…" Chris looked back at the remaining contestants. "Congratulations Final 8. You've all survived yet another blindside vote, but it appears Katrina's metaphor was closer to truth than we all realized. Your castles seem to be made of sand, and it's only a matter of time before one of them crumbles first. Grab your stuff and head back to the Merge Cabin, you're all safe...for now."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ah, that was quite the spectacle wasn't it? However, it was all done to determine precisely one thing...who had which tiki, and Silivia noticed _quite_ the find in Cassandra's bag while she was unattended. That's right, even cursed, nothing will stop me from my goals. That Legacy Tiki _will_ be mine."

End Confessional

* * *

"And with that, we wrap up yet another episode of intense strategic gameplay!" Chris announced into the camera. "Now, only 8 are left in the competition for the million dollar grand prize? How will things change up now that Pierre is taking Evan's place on Kokoke Island? With the exit of The Gold Tiki, what cracks in alliances and strategies will form? Can Ka Lani reclaim their position at the top from the early game? Will Honua survive the blindside of their captain? Will Chef ever forgive me for what was CLEARLY an accident today? Find out nearly none of these...next time!

On Total!  
Drama!  
Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Gal's Final Confessional:

"Yeah, it was probably foolish of me not to let Kevin play his tiki, but I got caught up in the moment, as I so often do. I'm proud of the game I played for the most part, and I think was right to not trust the tikis, look where that Gold one got me, hahaha, and hey I made it just as far as Helen did in Zero Sum, and that's something I can be proud of. I'm definitely rooting for my Honua crewmates to pull through and win this thing! I can't stop you from using your tikis now, but you have two very important ones that if played correctly will help you control two separate eliminations! Kevin, I want you to win the most, alright? Seriously, come find me after the show! I wanna take you on board my dad's ship sometime. I think you'll like it!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Cassandra voted for…Julia_

 _Evan voted for…Pierre(Shifted to Galiris)_

 _Galiris voted for…Julia_

 _Julia voted for…Galiris_

 _Katrina voted for…Pierre(Shifted to Galiris)_

 _Kevin voted for…Julia_

 _Lina voted for…Julia_

 _Pierre voted for…Galiris_

 _Zubin voted for…Julia_

 _The Curse Tiki voted for...Evan(Shifted to Galiris)_


	23. Ep 15: Never Show Your Cards

_**AN: Sorry about all that nothing happening for like half a year. Transferring to a new uni and all that. All done now though, and I have more free time, which means more time for these stories!**_

* * *

 _Chris's Recap_

"Last time...on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

The Honua team has been through one roller coaster ride of a season. Early on they were losing challenges fairly badly, and they soon picked up the pace, winning just about each subsequent challenge, while being blindsided by unfortunate twists. Even so, at the merge, the Honua alliance had a solid four, and since attention was on Ka Malu O and Ka Lani, who were untrustworthy and close-knit respectively, they managed to sneak by and gain a solid foothold at four strong during the final 9, but after goading Pierre into playing his tiki's final trick, Galiris was sent home, though not before leaving Kevin in charge of the Honua alliance and the final twist tiki of the game, The Love Tiki. Now, Pierre holds the Curse Tiki, Evan is back with Cassandra, his lone Ka Lani teammate in the Merge Cabin, Katrina has declared herself a solo player, and Honua is down to only three alliance members, but they do possess two of the six remaining twist tikis left in play. How will the events of our final 8 play out? One unlucky contestant is destined for the chopping block tonight! Find out who right now! On Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_ **  
**  
The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,  
**_  
Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_ **  
**  
The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun  
**_  
The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won  
**_  
A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_ _  
_  
Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana  
**_ **  
**The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

"Okay so….that wasn't at all how I thought elimination was going to go, for the record." Julia put her hands up, knowing that Katrina wasn't about to defend her. "I just sort of voted with my ally. I honestly had no idea about that tiki."

"Frankly, I don't give much of a crap about it." Evan responded as he began to move his things into the room that Pierre used to share with Kevin.

He stopped.

"I do, however, want to know what that abomination is still doing here." He pointed to Silivia who was coiled peacefully at the foot of the doorway.

"Well, it's not like Pierre could just bring her to Kokoke. She needs to eat, and she's not about to find any juicy mice over there." Julia responded.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"While I'm, in a way, grateful to Ka Malu O for perceiving Galiris to be a bigger threat than I, they will soon find out that last night's vote was a mistake that will cost them dearly. They succeeded by manipulating the weaknesses of the other Ka Lani members and a few cracks in the Honua alliance. Now though...they've allowed two Ka Lani to meet up again, and if there's one thing Ka Lani can do better than either of the other teams, it's follow a plan to the letter. Then, whenever I suspect I'm being targeted, I can instead play the Heaven Tiki and send home the person most likely to take immunity away from me. Sadly, that's probably Cassandra, but as long as I win immunity, such a situation never has to come up."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"So...last night's elimination was...very sad, but Gal gave me a job to do. I have to lead Honua in her absence, and the first thing I have to do is let the others know what the Love Tiki does."

End Confessional

* * *

"So let me make sure I get the gist of this…" Zubin said as the Honua three sat in the lounge area of the first floor of the cabin. "The Love Tiki can be used as an immunity tiki to save any player the holder desires other than themselves from elimination, but then both the immune player and the holder have to spend until the next _elimination_ ceremony in the Honeymoon Cabin?"

"That's correct." Kevin nodded. "It's really risky, but it could pay off and-"

"Kevin!" Zubin stood up, his eyes glowing. "That's _perfect_! Do you know how simple this is going to be now? We just need one, maybe two elimination ceremonies where none of _us_ are the targets! With players like Pierre, Katrina, Evan, Julia...all _we_ have to do is lay low and we're on the fast track to the final three with that tiki!"

"So...throw immunity challenges?" Lina wondered. "I don't know about that…"

"No, no, of course not." Zubin shook his head. "Just perhaps if we notice we're performing exceptionally well, we tone it down a bit. For instance, in these past two challenges, I've made it far, so I personally should try to not stand out too much this challenge. You two, however, should continue giving it your all."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I was upset that Gal had to leave, but at the same time, it helped get rid of the athlete I'd've had to deal with later on in the final four if our plans had proceeded flawlessly. We _should_ theoretically, only need a single elimination were we aren't voted off. Two in a row would be better, but I'm not sure how viable that is right now with how absolutely hectic the entire merge has been so far."

End Confessional

* * *

Meanwhile, Cassandra was frantically looking around her room.

"Where is it? Where is it?"

"Could you keep it down?" Katrina asked from the doorway, disinterested in Cassandra's current plight.

"I can't _find_ it!" Cassandra seemed to not even hear Katrina's remark.

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"I don't know _where_ it could have gone, we were all at elimination! Somehow...somehow the Legacy Tiki's been stolen! No matter what, I can't tell Evan. I just need to find it quickly before...well, before anyone else does!"

End Confessional

* * *

Katrina couldn't care less for what has happening in that room, but she hadn't come by to just complain about the noise.

"Hey, vote Lina tonight. Good things will happen."

"A little early to be talking voting plans when we don't even know who's immune yet, y'know?"

"I know that if you don't, it's probably your ass going home. Thought I'd throw out a bone now that team banners mean nothing to me."

"You say that…" Cassandra decided to go back to searching for her missing tiki.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I _know_ that. Come on, this next vote clearly has their names written all over it."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre_

"Ah, how kind of Evan to leave behind such a luxurbulous shelter for my personage!" Pierre relaxed as he looked out at the main island.

"By now, I'm sure _she's_ realized it's gone. I'll bet our three stooges think themselves on the fast track to victory too, but what none of them realize is that this solitude is the perfect place to come up with challenge winning strategies. I'd wager the last inhabitants just complained and moped all day, but unlike them, I've come here willingly and splendiforously!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Curse? What Curse? Do I look like a superstitious person to you? The only thing that's a curse about this tiki is how hideous it looks. A single vote means nothing to me, have none of you at home been paying attention? Take a gander at Evan and Dominique, neither one of them voted out on purpose, because the fear...the fear in each contestant's mind that they could be cursed next...it keeps them from writing my name down. As long as I have the illusion of the Curse Tiki's power, I need no immunity!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Cassandra, Evan_

"We need to think about who we're going to vote out after the challenge today." Evan had brought Cassandra into the forest to talk strategy. "It has to be Zubin. Pierre's too dangerous to vote off with the curse tiki in his possession, and that Honua weasel has already managed to win an immunity."

"What if he wins another one?" Cassandra asked. "If he were to win immunity, I think we should get rid of Lina. She's an easy target, no tiki to speak of as far as I'm aware."

"We're saving Lina until the end. She's not a threat to either you or me. If it is not to be Zubin, it shall be Julia. Her mimicry has aided her time and time again, she has no tiki either, and she's a Ka Malu O."

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"Cassandra is having trouble seeing the bigger picture. She's still hung up on our numbers and wants to avoid disturbing the bigger fish. What she doesn't realize is that _I_ am the biggest fish in this lake."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"Evan seems to have gotten it in his head that just because he isn't cursed anymore, he's somehow this invincible player. Look, I can respect the confidence, alright? But we're six peeps away from the _Final Two_. If there was ever a time to be at least a little bit cautious, it'd be now."

End Confessional

* * *

"Look, I don't like the Ka Malu Os either but we can't just blindly vote for them based on animosity. They're our best bet at bringing Honua down to two!"

"Honua will go down to two whether we gain Ka Malu O's aide or not." Evan responded.

"I've had weeks on Kokoke to think all of this through, Cassandra. I'm finally free to play the way I want to again, could you at least grant me a small amount of faith?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Evan, it's that you've had nowhere near as much time to interact with the others!"

"Why are you interacting with them?" Evan's voice rose slightly. "They're all _still_ the enemy!"

"You know what-?!" Cassandra stepped up to Evan, unafraid even though he towered over her. They stared at each other in silence before Cassandra finally backed away. "I'm heading back to my room in the Merge Cabin. We can talk more about this later...when we know who is immune and who isn't."

"Attention campers!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers as the two parted ways. "Meet me in the old mess hall for a very special event! I hope none of you scare easily!"

* * *

 _Location: Mess Hall_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

As Chef brought Pierre into the mess hall, Chris turned to the final eight contestants. "This week's challenge is entirely up to you, the players. There will be no real rules to it, only that each of you will be subjected to a fortune reading at the hands of world-renowned seer, Madam McLean!" He gestured to an old woman sitting in front of a deck of cards.

* * *

Confessional: Chris

"She's just some old broad we found on the street of the mainland, but they don't have to know that, hah hanh."

End Confessional

* * *

"After each contestant has _privately_ heard their fortunes, we will lock you all inside the Merge Cabin until sundown, during which point we will have a Po'ino Elimination Ceremony. If you wish to win immunity, you must convince another contestant to will their own safety to you before the time is up. Once a contestant has willed immunity to another one, that contestant is no longer eligible for immunity. The first contestant to be willed immunity will also be given the keys to the Merge Cabin to use as they see fit. Does everyone understand the challenge so far?"

"I think so…" Lina mused. "But isn't that a high hurdle for immunity? I mean, it's not only possible but highly probable that no one will will their safety to another contestant."

"That's where the fun part comes in!" Chris smiled. "If the time limit is reached and no one has willed immunity to another contestant...You'll all be fair game at elimination _and_ you'll be locked out of the Merge Cabin! Anyways, line up outside the mess hall contestants! Cassandra, you're first!"

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"I'm not afraid of any sort of fortune, but maybe this old bat can help me find a way to get someone to will their shot at immunity to me."

End Confessional

* * *

"Come, child, and shuffle the cards you see in three." The woman cackled. Before Cassandra did as she was told, the woman drew a card from the deck that bared Cassandra's resemblance. "This signifies your place in this struggle." She announced as she placed it on the center of the table.

She took a single card from the left most deck Cassandra had created and placed it over the first card. "This covers one. It reveals the atmosphere of your current place in this struggle." The card was of a fair woman with long blonde hair, regally dressed and holding up a golden chalice. "The Queen of Cups." The woman spoke aloud. "Warm and loving. She has great emotional depth which she will gladly share with those in distress." Madam McLean looked up into Cassandra's eyes. "You've already shared your thoughts to those in distress, first was the Idol who entrusted his sister to you, next was the Loner who sought safety for his final possession with you. Now you have but a single ally whom you have shared your worries with."

Cassandra gulped, but said nothing. This woman obviously could have just watched episodes early after all.

Madam McLean took another card and placed it sideways over the Queen of Cups. It showcased an androgynous young adult dressed in colorful robes observing a blue fish appear out from a golden cup nearby budding roses. "This crosses one. It reveals the nature of the forces that oppose you, for good or ill."

"Another Cups thing?" Cassandra guessed correctly.

"Yes, the Page of Cups." Madam McLain nodded. "A youth, developing emotional understanding of self and others. They are going through a new beginning, a birth or new opportunity."

"The youngest among us are Kevin and Lina, I'm pretty sure…" Cassandra nodded to herself. "Kevin especially seems to fit that description."

"Then I would be wary around him, my child." Madam McLean warned. "For whether either one of you seeks it or not, your paths cannot coexist."

"That's...unfortunate." Cassandra played along as Madam McLean brought another card out.

She placed it above the current stack as she uttered "This crowns one. It represents your hopes in relation to this current struggle. Ah-"

"Yeah, it's upside down." Cassandra noticed. "What does that mean?"

The card in question showcased a young man with colorful garments holding a large wooden rod in one of his blue gloves, and a crystal ball in the other, greeting a stranger off the card with another large wooden rod in an ungloved hand. Of course, the card was upside down, so it was a little hard for Cassandra to see.

"The II of Rods, reversed." Madam McLean replied. "I sense an emotional disturbance in you. Your ally is back from exile and his plans seem cryptic to you. You fear the unknown thoughts of him. You fear a betrayal you won't see coming. You hope to avoid such a fate."

Cassandra was starting to feel a little uneasy, less because of what the woman was saying, but more because she was correct.

Madam McLean put another card down on the table, this time below the original stack. "This is beneath one. It is the foundation of the matter, that which you are already aware of." She announced, showcasing a card of a man with a gold coin in one hand, a balancing scale in the other, and two hands of people off the card begging for the coin. Once again though, the card was upside down. "The VI of Pentacles, reversed." Madam McLean sighed. She looked up at Cassandra. "Jealousy and envy reap no benefits my child. Your current and former allies were and are close to each other, but you must not think of yourself as somehow less or more worthy. That kind of defeatism or hubris often leads to grave mistakes otherwise easily avoided."

Madam McLain moved onto the next card, placing it to the left of the center stack. "This is behind one." She announced. "It reveals an influence that has just passed or is now passing away. Yours is the VII of Swords. Partial success in coping with authority. For the most part, my child, your opinion has not gone unnoticed within your alliance, but while you have a new benefit in that your ally is constantly beside you, you will also have to give way to his stubborn nature if you so wish to continue working with him, for his opinions are unlikely to change without great tragedy."

Next, Madam McLean placed the sixth card down, on the right side of the central stack, completing the small cross. "This is before one." She announced, "It shows the influence that will operate in the near future."

Her eyes widened as she flipped the card over to reveal a wreath with many stars inside its ring along with a loosely robed and otherwise naked woman holding two large sticks of some kind. A different animal was in each corner of the card, a human head in the top left, a bird head in the top right, a bull head in the bottom left, and a lion's profile in the bottom write.

"The World…" Madam McLean gasped. "Attainment of wealth and prosperity. Recognition and rewards from earnest labor. Changing in status. Something big is going to influence you in the near future my child, something I hope you will do right by."

Cassandra gulped again, this time a little more nervous.

Madam McLean then placed a seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth card all in a column to the right of the cross she'd created. "Now for your attitude towards the game as it currently stands, young one." A flip of the card revealed an angel in a shallow pond, pouring water from one golden grail to another, though it was reversed. "A reverse Temperance." Madam McLean's eyes widened. "I see...scattered forces...conflicting interests...confused direction. Your needs don't necessarily align with your wants, nor your morals. A difficult choice may lie ahead of you." She then moved to turn over the eighth card. "Now for the environment, family, friends, and their effects on this situation." The card revealed a large looming castle tower in darkness, once again upside down. Madam McLean frowned.

"A reversed Tower. Tyranny. Oppression. I see now, why you are so conflicted. Your one ally is unwilling to listen to you. I do not suggest this lightly, but his early removal from your immediate association would be wise."

Cassandra by this point had gone silent, and waited as Madam McLean flipped over the ninth card to show her hopes and fears in a broader spectrum. It was a blindfolded person, holding a sword in either hand. "The II of Swords" Cassandra correctly identified.

"Indeed." Madam McLean nodded. "You want to have blind faith in your ally, and hope that his authority will lead you to safety, but you fear the bindings inherent in this plan. I see clearly now what your choice is. You must choose between loyalty and autonomy. Whether you make the right choice...depends on this last card." She tapped the final card of the reading, before slowly flipping it over.

Cassandra knew the moment it revealed itself that it was not good. A black bull-like visage staring intently out of the card, crowned by a pentagram with a scarab beetle at its center. This card, too, was upside down.

Madam McLean let out a small, almost defeated chuckle. "Of course it would be this card."

"What is it?" Cassandra asked.

"Blindness. Weakness. Submission to evil forces." Madam McLean responded. "That will become your ultimate fate if you continue down your current path. That card, that major arcana card...is The Devil." She looked up sadly at Cassandra. "And with that, my child, your reading has come to a sullen end."

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"The DEVIL? The freaking DEVIL? Great, if I wasn't nervous before, I sure as hell am now! Thanks a lot Chris!"

End Confessional

* * *

Evan entered next, as Madam McLean put a card with his likeness on the table, and after he'd done as she instructed and shuffled the deck, she began to draw cards in the same manner she'd drawn for Cassandra.

"This covers one. It reveals-" She went through the same words as well, before turning the card over. A bearded man sitting on a throne, holding a large scepter. "Ah, The Emperor is representing the atmosphere of your game right now. A mature man with conviction and the ability to execute plans and ideas. He maintains an overview of all situations with stability, control, and reason. You have run through plays in your head, and believe to have come to a logical conclusion. This is good, but is the logical choice always the right choice to make? I ask because…" She flipped over the next card, a robed man holding a staff up in the air as though he is about to call something down from the sky. "The Magician is what crosses you. With wisdom and skill, he harnesses energy into force, and force into power for the benefit of mankind. Tell me, young one, of whom do you think this card is hinting?"

"If it's anyone, probably Zubin." Evan folded his arms. "Which suits me fine, since I plan to get rid of him if he doesn't win immunity."

"I see…" Madam McLean moved on to the next card. "The King of Cups, Reversed is what crowns you. That disappoints me. Your hopes are selfish, shallow, and self-satisfied."

"WHAT?!" Evan shouted "I'm doing all of this so that my sister and I can have a better life than-"

"And competing on a fun reality show, leaving her for months on end, is the best way to accomplish that?" The crone grinned slyly. "It is instinct to want to win at competition, young one. It is not instinct to enter a game show if one needs money quickly."

Evan backed down, and motioned for Madam McLean to flip over the next card.

"Death is beneath one. A recent great change in lifestyle has befallen you. Once cursed, now among the masses. You may also have experienced a shift in your view of self, but that is for you to know. This next card is behind one… The Knight of Cups. A confident and amiable young man, bearing the invitation of a new beginning. So...you still seem hung up on the departure of your friend Clay."

"Of course I am…" Evan looked down at the ground. "They voted him off, in a blindside no less. I want to make them pay for it. That sort of elimination...it's just not fair."

"Then let's take a small look into what lies before you…" Madam McLean revealed the sixth card. "The V of Pentacles. Spiritual warmth will comfort those suffering financial or physical hardships. If you find yourself in a bind, allow your spiritual side to take over. Take comfort in doing something that's right."

"I understand." Evan nodded.

"Hold on, my boy, there are still four cards left." Madam McLean stopped Evan from leaving as she put down the seventh card. "How is your general attitude towards the matters at hand? The V of Rods, Reversed."

Madam McLean let out a laugh. "Well, you certainly wear your heart on your sleeve. You were complaining earlier about how underhanded this game had become, weren't you? It appears the cards are acting as your witness. However, now we must look at the influence friends and nature may have." She frowned as a Reversed Devil once again showed up. "Two times in two readings…" She mumbled. "I suppose it can't be helped. A see blindness, weakness, a submission to evil. I would advise you to do what you must to keep your ally's faith in you strong to avoid this scenario. But enough of her...what of you?"

Madam McLean turned over the ninth card and laughed. "The II of Swords, eh? Well, at least the two of you want the same thing. Blind faith in direction. One who conforms to the dictates of authority. Though who is the authority may differ between you two."

"Then, what's the last card?" Evan asked. "The result if I do nothing?"

"The result if you choose to put your faith in these cards." Madam McLeaned warned as she turned it over. "And it is not a result you want. The Tower, when reversed like this, signifies tyranny, and oppression. Whether you are tyrant or lorded over by some other force remains to be seen, but times are still dark for Ka Lani, I'm afraid. With that though...this session must come to an end."

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I have no idea what just happened, but if I can somehow find someone to will their immunity to Cassandra, I'm sure I can gain her faith in me back. Unfortunately, fresh from Kokoke, I'm not the person to give it to her, but maybe Lina could do it if the right buttons were pressed."

End Confessional

* * *

Julia was the next to waltz into the room.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"I'm actually kind of really excited to have my fortune read! I'm not sure if I believe in that stuff, since it's always kind of vague, but it's really cool how it seems like it can pinpoint exactly what's going on in your life!"

End Confessional

* * *

Julia cheerfully shuffled the deck as Madam McLean instructed and eagerly looked on as the first card was drawn.

"The X of Cups is what covers you." Madam McLean smiled. "Bliss, contentment, emotional richness attained. I take it you're happy with your current position in this game then?"  
"I suppose I am content for now." Julia replied back with Madam McLean's tone.

"Oh, skilled with mimicry I see, how wonderful a weapon to possess. Let us see your opponent you may need to use such a weapon on. The VIII of Cups, Reversed, is what crosses you. Your enemy is not a contestant, unless you count yourself. Emotional entanglement is your greatest danger at the moment. Do not allow it to dictate your thoughts and actions."

"Easy for you to say…" Julia mumbled with a small smile as the third card was drawn. "This IX of Pentacles, Reversed, crowns you. Interesting...interesting...normally this card remarks on hopes and desires, but a reverse of this card suggests flagrant displays, facade, bad faith. Are you perhaps hoping to get away with these yourself?"

"Eh-heh, guilty as charged I guess." Julia smiled.

"Quite the cunning player we have on our hands then." Madam McLean drew the next card. "The Fool is beneath you. One who is enthusiastic but inattentive to details. Immature and carefree, yet pure of heart. A former teammate perhaps?"

"I mean, I guess it sounds like Briand." Julia shrugged. "I never spent much time with him though."

"Well, regardless, he is in your past. You've experienced that kind of player already. This fifth card...the IX of Swords, Reversed, is behind you. Ah, there was a fear challenge not too long ago, yes?"

"Yeah?" Julia responded. "Why?"

"Fear, imprisonment, shame...your voice is your tool, but your voice is also your cage."

"Geez, lady, you know how to cryptically read a girl." Julia couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

"And before you…" Madam McLean kept going. "Before you lies the Page of Rods. A young man bearing information, or spiritual importance. I'm willing to bet in this game, however, that information is what the young man who will soon appear before you will bear. Any idea who it may be?"

"Uhm..maybe one of the Honua boys?" Julia guessed. "Otherwise, I guess it could be anybody."

"Now then...let's explore how this all ties together, beginning with your own influence. The Queen of Swords. You think yourself a woman of great strength and independence, able to forge her way in the world."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"I mean, before coming on the show, I'd be all like 'no way', but have you _seen_ how far I've gotten? Final freaking 8? It's a pretty nice confidence boost!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Next let's look at the influence of friends, family, and nature...V of Pentacles, Reversed. Disorder, chaos, and ruin grasp the inner self, resulting in spiritual and financial discord. It appears your current alliance is not glued as tightly together as you would hope it to be."

"That's a little concerning." Julia admitted mimicking Courtney's voice as Madam McLean turned the ninth card over to reveal Julia's hopes and fears concerning the bigger picture.

"The III of Rods, Reversed. The end of trials, disappointment and trouble. Hm, I'd wager you feel that way now based on what I just told you."

"You think?!" Julia exclaimed. "Come on, just flip the tenth card over already."

"The King of Swords is he who holds your game's fate in his hands right now. Mature and in full command, he is the law and authority over whatever he may choose. Take this information however you will."

Julia shuddered a bit as she left the tent, and Katrina walked in.

"Let's just get it over with." She sighed after shuffling. "1st card, go."

"The X of Cups, Reversed." Madam McLean determined. "Emotional poverty, anger, and guilt is what covers you."

"I think we're done here-" Katrina began to leave but was stopped by Chef waiting outside the tent.

"Listen... to the... full... fortune!" He spoke slowly and firmly.

Katrina rolled her eyes as she approached the table again. "Second card."

Madam McLean revealed the VI of Rods.

"Triumphant resolution of difficulties, the realisation of hopes and desires. These forces are what oppose you."

Katrina once again tried to leave, and was once again stopped.

"The V of Swords, Reversed, crowns you. Tell me, Katrina, which contest do you hope to disarm and expose, forcing regret upon?"

A genuine look of surprise washed over Katrina's face before she pursed her lips and replied.

"None of your business. Next card."

"The II of Cups, Reversed, is beneath you. False love? No...a misunderstanding. Yes...you've recently experienced a lapse in communication with your allies."

"Next card." Katrina tapped her foot impatiently.

"Um, The Queen of Cups, reversed, is behind you." Madam McLean was not used to dealing with such a difficult guest. "Deceit, Infidelity, Opposition." She looked up at Katrina. "You are quite the firebrand to have made it this far in spite of the enemies you've made for yourself. You should be commended."

"Come on, let's keep this reading fast." Katrina motioned for Madam McLean to flip over the next card.

"The X of Rods is before you. Oppression will influence your game in the near future. Although a burden weighs heavily upon the figure, still he perseveres."

"Stop." Katrina rose an eyebrow. "You said 'he'. Who-?"

Madam McLean moved onto the next card with a shit-eating grin.

"The Knight of Rods represents your current mood towards your game." She announced. "A young man is travelling a path dominated by belief in the unknown. A positive change in residence, for you at least."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I _am_ rightly glad that tweedle-idiot is confined to Kokoke for his remaining time on this show, but there's no way some cards could _actually_ intuit that."

End Confessional

* * *

"The IV of Pentacles, Reversed, signifies the influences of friends, family, and the environment." Madam McLean continued. "The walls of material security are about to crumble for you."

Katrina mused about what that meant as Madam McLean moved on to the ninth card.

"The Page of Pentacles, Reversed, signifies your hopes and fears about the situation at hand. Rebelliousness. It appears I was correct in my prior comment about your firebrand nature."

"Yeah, whatever." Katrina sighed. "Just give me that last card. It's all I really care about, assuming this shit is even remotely accurate."

"Ah, yes, the outcome…" Madam McLean grinned as she flipped over the last card. "The X of Swords, Reversed. A temporary advantage for profit and power. This is what awaits if you continue down your path."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I _already_ have the Chris Tiki, so this whole thing was a waste of my time."

End Confessional

* * *

Kevin was the next to enter the tent.

His first card was fittingly, Death, Reversed.

"Stagnation, Inertia. You and your allies know not how to handle yourselves with the loss of your leader, and the disruption of the previous status quo."

"And...what crosses me?" Kevin asked, taking the fortune far more seriously than any of the previous contestants.

"The VII of Swords." Madam McLean responded. "The force that for better or worse opposes you is partial success in coping with authority."

"I don't understand who that means, though." Kevin wondered as Madam McLean flipped over the third card.

"The Wheel of Fortune, Reversed, crowns you. One defeated by change, or misfortune. Who is it you hope to see gone, child?"

"Pierre…" Kevin said through gritted teeth. "He's the reason Gal's not…"

"Hm…" Madam McLean silently judged the boy as she revealed the fourth card. "The VIII of Rods, Reversed, is beneath you. Impatience, Delay, Quarreling. Those problems are in the past for you and your allies. Take comfort in that."

"I...I do." Kevin seemed to calm down a bit. "Next card, please."

"The II of Pentacles is behind you. Harmony in the midst of change. I believe this refers to your allies mending their relationships whilst the machinations of change took place in the background."

"And what is before me?" Kevin wondered.

"Before you lies… The Page of Rods, Reversed." Madam McLean flipped the sixth card over. "Be prepared, young one. After all fortunes are read and you've left the tent, Instability awaits. Now then…"

She flipped over the seventh card.

"Ah, the III of Rods. Great spiritual strength lies within you, young one, and through contemplation, you believe you will be enabled to meet what lies ahead."

"Of course." Kevin nodded. "I can't let Gal down."

"Now let us look at the forces of friends, family, environment, and what impact they might have…" Madam McLean flipped over the eighth card. "The Ace of Cups. The essence of beauty, joy, and love. Peace in matters of the heart. You are lucky, young one, that your spirit has already found its place in the world. It will help guide your actions."

After a brief pause, she flipped over the ninth card, signifying Kevin's hopes or fears regarding the game.

"Hah! The Ace of Pentacles! The path of material gain and the attainment of wealth and prosperity! How pure. Your greatest desire is to win the competition!"

"I'm the first one who felt that way?"

"The others so far have been entangled in immediate emotional desires of the id. You, young one, should be proud for viewing the larger picture. Now, let us see what, or who awaits you at the culling of your fate."

She flipped over the final card. "The Knight of Cups. A confident and amiable young man, bearing invitation to a new beginning. I see...this is not a separate entity. This is what you shall become if you continue on your path. Realize this, and whether gain or loss come your way, you will grow with positive change."

Kevin managed a small smile to himself as he left the tent, and Lina walked in.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Alright, fortunes...let's hope mine's a good one! Fingers crossed!"

End Confessional

* * *

Lina's immediate first card was The Tower.

"In a flash, the road you have travelled has come to a sudden halt. Sudden change, disruption, and adversity. You are the last female left of Honua, your greatest ally blindsided, and he who was most responsible now hides behind a shield of fear."

Her next card was Death, Reversed.

"Opposing you, for good or ill, is stagnation, inertia. You feel like you have remained in the same position you've remained for the entire game, and wish to feel like you have more control."

"I mean, you aren't wrong…" Lina mumbled as the third card was revealed.

The VII of Swords.

"So, you too wish for partial success in coping with authority. Though for you, perhaps it will be more doable. In any case, let us see what is beneath you instead."

The fourth card revealed was the X of Cups.

"What's that mean?" Lina wondered.

"It means bliss, contentment, emotional richness attained. Did you, perhaps, find a significant other earlier in the competition?"  
"That was _ages_ ago!" Lina's eyes widened as her grip on Kaleaf's phone tightened.

"Let us look at what is behind you, young one." Madam McLean moved on to the fifth card.

"The Hanged Man, Reversed. One bound by convention, faithless."

"Yeah, that also kind of sounds like Kaleaf…" Lina gave a small laugh. "If only he was still here. At least then I'd _know_ I had a good ally, and wouldn't need to put so much trust in Kevin and Zubin."

Madam McLean's eyes widened as she revealed the sixth card.

"The Hierophant is before you. Young one, there are many major arcana at play in your destiny. Be warned that this means changing your fate, should it be undesirable, is much harder for you than any of the others who might have come in here. In any case, The Hierophant reflects his spiritual beliefs and concern for others through example. He is who you will deal with in your not too distant future."

"Okay, got it." Lina nodded.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Except now I'm _really_ stressing out because of that unchanging fate comment! These next few cards better be good!"

End Confessional

* * *

"The IV of Cups represents your own influence on the matter. Despondent and forlorn, you are hesitantly now seeking spiritual resolve of inaction."

"Yeah, I guess bingo there." Lina gave a despondent sigh.

"Let's take a peek at the forces around you. Friends, family, environment. Shall we?"

The King of Cups, Reversed, is what revealed itself on the table. "Be careful, young one. Among this cast of friends and foe is a man who is selfish, shallow, and self-satisfied. He influences your fate the most."

"Great." Lina began to mope even more.

"Your hopes and fears are represented by…" Madam McLean flipped the ninth card over. "The VIII of Swords, Reversed. I'm sorry to have frightened you so, child. You now fear Opposition, Struggle, even Anxiety itself. That is not the mindset one should have in a competition such as this one."

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"You're telling me….gee, thanks Chris for the psychological damage courtesy of a smell fortune teller lady!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Are you prepared child? This last card will reveal the outcome if you continue down your current path."

"Just...flip it over, please." Lina just wanted to leave the tent.

Madam McLean flipped the final card over. "Child, you may want to look."

Lina, who had covered her eyes with her hands, peeked at the card.

"This is The Queen of Pentacles. A highly intelligent woman, inclined to order and efficiency. She's generous, secure, and free of material care. Like I told a previous client, whether your fate is of gain or loss, your growth will result in positive change if you stay your course."

Lina gave a sigh of relief as she left the tent.

A short while later, Pierre slithered his way in.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"I care not for the second half of these fortune readings. I only truly wish to desire the first six cards. The first two most of all. Silivia and I need to know who or what stands with us, and who or what stands against us."

End Confessional

* * *

"The Queen of Swords covers you." Madam McLean noted. "A-"

"It doesn't matter. Clearly, it refers to Julia." Pierre motioned for Madam McLean to the next card. "What or who is foolish enough to cross me?"

"The IV of Cups, Reversed is what crosses you." Madam McLean explained. "New instruction and new relationships. The girl named Julia may be your ally, but your adversary is intangible, and happening whether you will it or not."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"True, of course, but relationallyships can be broken quite easily with just a pinch of chaos."

End Confessional

* * *

"The IX of Pentacles, Reversed, crowns you. Flagrant displays, facade, bad faith. You hope that no one will catch on to your current scheme. You shield of fear is illusory, and will only last you as far as the final four, if you even get that far. You hope to keep them afraid so that you can slink your way into the penultimate challenge."

"Yes, the audience at home knows this already." Pierre motioned for Madam McLean to continue.

"The Fool, Reversed, is beneath you." She explained as she flipped the fourth card.

"Ah, yes, Maddie. She is gone now, though, so let us move on to card five."

"Behind you is...The Lovers, Reversed. Infatuation, lust, conceit. It is not right to have strung a girl along like that, but I cannot argue against its effectiveness."

"Indeed, you cannot." Pierre smiled as Madam McLean flipped over the sixth card. "The Sun lies before you. I will tell you, what I told another...many major arcana are at play in your fate. As such, changing it will be difficult, whether good or bad the outcome."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"However, I am the fantabulous spectacle that all the world watches in awemazemerisation! If there is a soul who can change the unchangeable, it's Pierre!"

End Confessional

* * *

"The Sun signifies warmth, sincerity in a relationship, liberation from limitation, growth, expansion. It appears your gambit will pay off for you, at least in the short term. Let's take a look at your own influence on the game, shall we?"

She flipped over the seventh card. "The VI of Swords, Reversed. Unresolved anxiety. This is the contagion you spread as your weapon, is it not?"

"I'm more concerned about the _eighth_ card." Pierre pointed for Madam McLean to continue.

"Friends, family, environment and their influences on your game are represented here by…" Madam McLean flipped over the IV of Swords, Reversed. "Chaos, disharmony."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ha! Absolutely fantasterrific! I've succeeded in the sowing! The reaping can commence shortly!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Let's take a peek into your hopes and fears then…" Madam McLean revealed the ninth card. "The Ace of Pentacles, Reversed. The misuse of wealth causes unhappiness and the deterioration of character. I would not have guessed you feared this."

"Of course I do! When i win, I must use the funds to make sure the world remembers my name for centuries upon centuries after my passing! Attention is the nectar of life, despite what others may tell you, and the only true way to achieve the immortality every human being craves!"

"Then let's take a look at your ultimate fate if you continue down your path, shall we?" Madam McLean smiled as she flipped over the final card.

"Judgement. An unfolding sense of one's part and purpose in the world and the universe. Awareness of the interrelation of all things."

Pierre grinned as he saw Madam McLean's shocked face.

"Were you hoping for a bad future, miss smelly crone?" He asked. "Unfortunately, I am not bound by your silly strings of fate! Quite the opposite in fact! I _control_ them!"

Pierre left the tent in a delightful mood, and Zubin, the final contest left to be read, walked inside to replace him.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I'm not sure what Pierre was so happy about, but it probably means bad news, so I should let Honua know and we can be on-guard."

End Confession

* * *

"Strength is what covers you. Courage, compassion, and determination enable one to subdue and soothe the hostile forces within ourselves and others. This is a potent ability that of those remaining, you alone are able to make use of."

"Well, that's nice." Zubin smiled as Madam McLean flipped the next card over.

"The Tower crosses you. In a flash, the road one has travelled comes to a sudden halt. Sudden change, disruption, and adversity. Ah, I take it you are also not fond of the recent developments of the game."

"No, I guess I'm not." Zubin shrugged. "Gal should not have been the one to go last week, and now Honua's numbers advantage is further away again."

"Death, Reversed, is what crowns you. Interesting. You are the first to _hope_ for stagnation and inertia."

"I can work with any given scenario, I'd like to think." Zubin smiled. "But that scenario needs to exist for more than a couple minutes for me to be able to work with it."

"The V of Rods is beneath you. Competition and struggle for dominance and power. A fracture in your group has been paved over, multiple times, it seems."

"Yeah, I suppose that's right too." Zubin nodded.

"The III of Rods, Reversed, is behind you." Madam McLean flipped over the fifth card. "The end of trials, disappointment, and trouble."

"Are you trying to say that I'm about to face nothing but those thing?" Zubin wondered in more of a joking manner than a serious one.

"Let's find out…" Madam McLean smiled as she flipped over the sixth card. "The World lies before you. Ah, so you too are bound tightly to your fate by the major arcana…"

Zubin stopped himself from laughing at the fortune.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"This entire ordeal is just to psych us all out and get as much drama as possible. No way am I taking any of this fate talk seriously. Anyone who does is going to find themselves on the wrong side of a vote in the worst possible way going forward."

End Confessional.

* * *

"Before you, young one, lies attainment of wealth and prosperity. Recognition and rewards from earnest labor. Change in status."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Here, most people would think that this means I'll win the competition, but that's not what it means at all. I'm already recognized by my peers for earnest work, so that's not hard to predict in the slightest, and as for change in status, every time an elimination ceremony happens, we all change in status. You see here how empty these fortunes really are. People are only letting the cards get to them of their own desire to have their destiny planned out by some supernatural force."

End Confessional

* * *

"Your influence on this game is represented by the II of Pentacles, Reversed." Madam McLean continued as she flipped over the seventh card. "News brings surface pleasure, false enjoyment. Your words and information can only do so much."

"Thank you for the warning." Zubin bowed his head as Madam McLean flipped over the eighth card.

"Now, the influence of friends, family, and environment, represented by the Queen of Cups. A warm and loving woman. She has great emotional depth which she will gladly share with those in distress. She is the biggest influence on your current game."

"I have no clue which of the remaining women could possibly fill that role, but sure." Zubin motioned for Madam McLean to continue.

"Now, for your own hopes and fears…" She smiled as she turned the ninth card over. "The Ace of Rods, Reversed. Decadence, corruption, and spiritual poverty. You'd like to win, but not at the cost of your own morals. A valid concern. One far more important than many of the others that have walked in here as well."

"Why thank you." Zubin smiled. "I assume the last card is how things will ultimately turn out if I just 'let fate guide me' or something?"

"In general, yes." Madam McLean nodded. "But with your abundance of major arcana, this is more of a fate that awaits you unless you actively fight the tides of it. Your current destiny is represented by…"

She turned the card over.

"The Moon. Darkness magnifies fears and dangers. Harsh realities. Disillusionment."

"Whew." Zubin wiped his forehead. "That's a relief."

"A relief?" Madam McLean seemed surprised by his reaction.

"Of course. If there's some sort of deception going on, even if I suffer another setback because of it, I'll clearly figure out what it was. I'm sure you've managed to get the other contestants to either doubt themselves or gain a boost of confidence to make them a tad more reckless, but I'll take these fortunes for what they are. Fortunes. Like the kind you used to find inside the Chinese fortune cookies before they were replaced with mindless idioms."

"An interesting take." Madam McLean smiled. "That concludes my business here. I believe the large man will escort you back to the Merge Cabin."

"Time to go, maggot!" Chef clapped suddenly behind Zubin, startling him into jogging back to the cabin. "Move those feet! Faster!"

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"So, we've all had our fortunes, read…" Zubin said as he, Kevin, and Lina all sat in a circle in the kitchen area. "What matters isn't any of that though, what matters is that, with eight contestants total, as many as four contestants can have immunity at the end of tonight. Ka Malu O isn't going to give up their chances at immunity. They're too selfish. I think it's highly likely this will become a no-one is safe week, so we should plan our vote accordingly."

"If no one is safe, I'd like to get rid of a Ka Malu O." Lina crossed her arms. "On the other hand though, I don't want two groups of two banding together to take us on."

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"We _do_ have those tikis, but it's not like we want to let anyone listening in know that."

End Confessional

* * *

"We should consider all possibilities carefully." Kevin suggested. "What would happen if we got rid of Katrina, of Evan, of Cassandra, of Julia, of Pierre."

"We probably shouldn't try to oust Pierre." Lina shuffled in her seat. "He may have that curse vote, but we'll probably be cursed next if we do that. He seems like the kind of person who would spite us that way."

"Julia still doesn't have a tiki, and she's been playing smart by letting the other two take all the attention away from her." Zubin noted.

"The last time we tried to get rid of her though, it backfired really bad." Kevin shuddered. "Let's not put up with another ace in the hole like that again."

"Honestly though, I'd prefer we keep Katrina around." Zubin admitted "She's got that Chris Tiki on her, and I'd rather her target be a Ka Lani than one of us."

"Well, if we want to make sure that all the Ka Malu O stay safe tonight, we can." Lina mumbled.

Zubin and Kevin gave quizzical looks.

"What if we gave them our immunities?"

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"If we did that, and I played my Maple Tiki, we'd be able to choose whether to get rid of Evan or Cassandra. It would definitely help narrow down where the Legacy Tiki is located. No way was it _not_ given to one of them. But the dilemma here is that should we _really_ waste our Maple Tiki on such a strange and hopeful plan?"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm telling you, Zubin. He's not about to be given immunity by someone else." Evan argued with Cassandra up in her room.

"I still don't know about that though…" Cassandra defended herself. "He tried to help us defend Clay earlier!"

"He did a piss poor job of it." Evan wasn't about to listen. "Tell you what, if you want me to vote your way, you need to grant me your immunity. Prove you trust me."  
"I-..." Cassandra couldn't do that.

Evan walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Ooh, he seems quite upsetappointed!" Pierre snuck in to replace him.

"What the hell do _you_ want?"

"Oh, I came to return an object that Silivia accidentally swallowed while she had free reign of the cabin." Pierre held out the Legacy Tiki.

"Now, technically, this tiki is in my possession. I own it."

"You _stole_ it, and you'll give it back!"

"I didn't steal a single thing! My poor snake at something that was about the size of a mouse, and she coughed it up recently because it thankfully didn't agree with her. I found it on the floor in the room I share with Kevin, and you know the saying. Finders keepers."

"Well, then I'll just get Evan to vote you off-"

"After that display of 'trust' I doubt that's possible." Pierre laughed. "I'll tell you what though, I don't mind paying for this tiki a different way. I'll give you my immunity, if you give me the tiki officially. No need to worry about elimination that way. You have until sundown to think about it of course. With the way your ally just stormed off though, I suggest you think _very_ carefully."

* * *

Confessional: Cassandra

"So my choices are either giving Evan my immunity to 'prove' some trust to him, or give Pierre the tiki Clay left with me and gain immunity for myself...Neither one of those is a desirable situation to put myself in."

End Confessional

* * *

"So…" Katrina said as she and Lina lounged in their room. "Who are you thinking of voting for? I'm down for anyone other than me."

"Well, Evan's a bit of a threat physically, and he seems like the most likely candidate for holder of the Legacy Tiki, plus he isn't cursed anymore. My main concern though is making sure Honua survives this ordeal."

"Are you planning to vote me out?" Katrina asked.

"No, actually. Both Kevin and Zubin seem to prefer you over the other two Ka Malu O. Me too, honestly, and we could use an extra vote."

"I'll change my offer then." Katrina decided. "I'll vote however you want, _and_ I'll give up my own immunity to whoever you want as well. When I say you though, I only mean you. Not your alliance."

"Hm…" Lina thought about it. "Who is Ka Lani planning to vote for?"

"Sounds like each other from the door I heard slam shut." Katrina smirked. "Bunch of retards those two. Amazing any of that team is still in the game."

"I think…" Lina continued to wrack her brain.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Katrina nodded.

"Finally, a smart move."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"So, Pierre has his special Curse Tiki pseudo-immunity since no one ever wants to vote for that, which means he can totally give his up if he wants."

End Confessional

* * *

"Pleeaaasseeee…" Julia mimicked Lindsay as she followed Pierre around the Merge Cabin. "I was almost voted off last week!"

"And I saved you then. You needn't worry this week." Pierre continued avoiding her.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"I see now, what that seer meant. Julia is trying her utmost to get me to relinquish my chance at immunity to her. The more she asks, the harder I find it to resist her pleas, but I must maintain control over my immunity so that my own plans can finally bear their fruit!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Evan!" Kevin called as he and Zubin saw Evan heading down into the lounge. "Evan, who are you planning on voting out?"  
"None of your business." Evan responded. "Not that it matters anyways, since I doubt I'll get enough votes. The ally I thought I had doesn't even trust me."

"Hey, Evan…" Zubin decided he might as well ask. "Do you have the Legacy Tiki?"

Evan gave Zubin a long, hard stare.

"I only ask because Pierre's next target is probably whoever holds the Legacy Tiki. They're in the most danger from him, so they should probably be made immune, right?"

Evan continued his stare at Zubin before leaving for the kitchen.

Zubin and Kevin looked at each other and nodded.

That silence was, in fact, an answer.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I think tonight's vote will be all over the place again, so um, be prepared audience at home."

End Confessional

* * *

"Stop." Evan grabbed Julia by her shirt collar as she trailed Pierre.

"Gah, don't _touch_ me!" She mimicked Heather as she squirmed free of his grasp. "What do you want?"

"The truth. Who are you voting for tonight? Me or Cassandra?"

"I don't know, Pierre hasn't told me yet." Julia crossed her arms. "It's making me pretty mad, to be honest."

"You want immunity, right?" Evan asked. "I can give it to you if you vote with me instead of your puppetmaster."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Man, putting on this hopeless bunny act sucks. _I'm_ the puppet master, you big idiot. But your offer entices me, so what's your plan?"

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm listening." Julia smirked. "Give me a name."

Evan whispered a name into her ear.

Her eyes widened.

"That's not the name I thought you'd say."

"It's my offer, take it or leave it."

"Fine." Julia shrugged. "No skin off my back, you've got yourself a deal."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"And _I've_ got _myself_ safety!"

End Confessional

* * *

As sundown approached, Chris knocked at the door.

"Attention contestants, as you leave the cabin to head to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, whisper a name, if any, and that person will receive immunity. Don't worry. If they've already received it, you needn't give yours up, or you can choose a different one. Same goes for if they gave their own immunity up."

"I'd like to change our offer." Pierre grabbed Cassandra's arm before they could leave as the others shuffled out. "Our deal is now, you give me your immunity, and I'll give you your tiki back. I won't even vote for you either. I'll vote for Evan. How does that sound? Think about it!"

He let go and headed through the door, leaving Cassandra as the last one out of the cabin.

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Before we begin, allow me to announce the status of each of the competitors in terms of immunity or not. We'll start at the top and work our way to the bottom, alphabetically." Chris grinned as the Final 8 all sat down around the bonfire. "Cassandra...is eligible to be voted off, by way of giving up her shot at immunity.

Evan...is eligible to be voted off, by way of giving up his shot at immunity. Julia...is immune. Katrina...is eligible to be voted off, by way of giving up her shot at immunity. Kevin...is eligible to be voted off. Lina...is eligible to be voted off. Pierre…is immune. Zubin...is immune."

"Huh?" Zubin rose a brow. "How?"

"That was me." Katrina admitted herself. "Those two were talking pretty loudly about voting you off." She cocked her head towards Cassandra and Evan. "Thought I'd throw a wrench in that."

"Speaking of those two…" Chris grinned. "It looks like they gave up their own immunities to the other Ka Malu O. An interesting development. What was the reason?"

"I needed an extra vote." Evan gave his reason.

"I was basically blackmailed." Cassandra gave hers.

"Well, hopefully you weren't planning on voting for Zubin like Katrina said you were!" Chris laughed. "Everyone know for sure who they're voting for?"

"Yes!" They replied back.

"In that case, Cassandra, you're up first."

Cassandra walked up to the voting area, hesitated, and scribbled a name down.

"I hope this is the right play."

As she came back, Kevin was sent up.

"With Pierre and Julia both immune, it's gotta be you, sorry."

After he was done, it was Katrina's turn.

After her, Julia.

Evan walked up after that.

Then Zubin, and then Lina.

Finally, everyone had gone.

"Pierre." Chris announced. "As the cursed contestant, you must state only the name of your vote."

Pierre nodded and stood up. "Evan." He announced, while smiling at Cassandra.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"See? I kept my end of the bargain as well."

End Confessional

* * *

"Alright. Normally, the Curse Tiki would give you a vote as well, but with individual immunity, you don't even have that to worry about." Chris explained. "I'll go tally the votes."

He came back only moments later with a wicked grin lit be the devilish flames of the bonfire.

"The votes have been tallied." He said. "If anyone has a twist tiki that they would like to play, now would be the time to do so."

Katrina looked around, as did Julia.

Pierre sat back and relaxed.

Kevin and Zubin gave each other nods.

Lina's leg began to jitter.

Cassandra clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them.

Evan reached into his pocket…

…

But relaxed on his stump.

"Alright then. I'll read the votes." Chris announced. "Remember, we have one vote for Evan. Our next vote is for.."

He pulled out a piece of paper.

"Lina. That's one vote Evan, one vote Lina. Our next vote is for...Evan! That's two votes Evan, one vote Lina."

Chris reached in to grab another slip.

"Our fourth vote is for...Cassandra! That's two votes Evan, one vote Cassandra, one vote Lina."

He reached in again, and came out with another slip.

"Cassandra! That's two votes Cassandra, two votes Evan, one vote Lina, three votes left."

"Oooh!" He looked at the next vote. "We are all tied up! Two votes Cassandra, two votes Evan, two votes Lina, two votes remaining."

"Our seventh vote is for…"

Chris opened up the folded piece of paper.

"...Cassandra. That's three votes Cassandra, two votes Evan, two votes Lina...one vote left."

Chris took out the final paper.

He looked at it.

He took a breath.

"The final vote is for…

…

…

…

…

…

… Evan. We have a tie. Cassandra and Evan will have to compete against each other in a short, 40 yard dash."

Cassandra and Evan both stood up and walked to where Chris began directing them. Their goal was to reach Chef.

"Go!" Chris announced.

The race wasn't even close.

Evan remained far in the lead the entire time, and reached Chef with ease.

"Sorry it had to come to that." He sighed as he walked back towards a dejected Cassandra. "Why did you give up your immunity to someone else? I could have-"

"I could ask you the same thing." Cassandra, still hurt emotionally, refused to accept his help.

"It was to secure a vote, but alright, be that way." Evan crossed his arms. "You're fighting the wrong enemy. I didn't vote for you."

"Wha-? Then who?"

"Sorry…" Kevin hung his head. "It was...my idea…"

"Dammit…" Cassandra kicked the dirt. "Dammit!"

"Yes, yes, everyone's upset, yadda yadda, just get on the Hang Glide of Shame already!" Chris almost forcefully sent Cassandra on her way.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Should have listened to me earlier…"

End Confessional

* * *

"And that's a wrap!" Chris turned to the camera. "With Cassandra gone, we are now down to the Final 7! What challenges await these players? How will Evan fare as the sole remaining member of Ka Lani? Will the fortunes read this week get into the minds of anyone else? And will anyone ever be truly in control of this game? Find out, maybe one of those! Next Time! On…

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Cassandra's Final Confessional:

"Well, this was my dumbass fault for letting all that paranoia get to me. Guess Clay rubbed off on me more than I'd like to admit. Still though, I made it really far, which I'm proud of.

I _did_ get the Legacy Tiki back, so I can will it to anyone I want, and while I know it's probably not the best strategy, I'm going to will it to Evan as an apology. I get that everyone will know he has it, but I haven't seen the Heaven Tiki used yet, which means he still has a chance of pulling a fast one on them! Good luck, and I'm so sorry for what happened in this past week. Please win it for our team!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Cassandra voted for… Evan_

 _Evan voted for… Lina_

 _Julia voted for… Lina_

 _Katrina voted for… Evan_

 _Kevin voted for… Cassandra_

 _Lina voted for… Cassandra_

 _Pierre voted for… Evan_

 _Zubin voted for… Cassandra_


	24. Ep 16: Not So Lucky Seven

_Chris's Recap_

"Last time...on Total Drama Nui Kaua…

We brought some old hag-, I mean _Madam McLean_ to read fortunes to our final 8 campers, in an effort to get them to stir up the drama pot around camp some more, and boy did she deliver! It sent Evan's newfound confidence right back into a paranoid mess, created a small rift between Julia and Pierre, but most importantly, it gave the two shy Honua members, Kevin and Lina, confidence, perhaps the most dangerous thing. The only one who seemed largely unaffected by the reading at large was Zubin, and this bled over into the contestants' conversations between the fortunes and the vote. A thieving Pierre shifted his deals with Cassandra back and forth, using her Legacy Tiki willed by Clay as a hostage, and Katrina, now allegedly free of banners, found trouble in getting any other players to trust, or even work alongside her. In the end, Ka Lani's paranoia got the better of their alliance as Cassandra submitted to Pierre's deal and turned on her final ally, though thanks to Kevin pinpointing Cassandra as the Legacy Tiki holder, and Evan's unsuspected loyalty, the vote forced a tie between Evan and herself, which she quickly lost, becoming the most recent rider of the Hang Glide of Shame. There are 7 contestants left in play! Zubin, Kevin, and Lina, in what may seem like a stable alliance of 3, but has been shaken on more than one occasion before. Julia and Pierre in what appears to be a pseudo-partnership, though it's clear neither one feels too inclined to share their full thoughts with the other. Katrina, once part of a Ka Malu O trio, now an alleged free agent who can't seem to find a new niche. Evan, the sole remaining Ka Lani contestant. He has the Heaven Tiki at his disposal, but one wrong move could spell his immediate defeat. These final 7 will soon become 6! Which player will find themselves the recipient of that fatal vote? Find out right now, on Total! Drama! Nui Kaua!"

* * *

 _*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*_

As the music begins, cameras emerge out of all the cabins, and each of the Twist Tikis is shown in different hiding spots.

 _ **Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind**_ **  
**  
The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, now with a bonfire and a hang glider atop the volcano, before diving into the water.

 _ **You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,  
**_  
Galiris and Dominique are both busy trying to avoid being grabbed by the giant octopus. While Dominique is avoiding it feverishly, Galiris is trying to fight it off. Briand jumps in from above and lands on the sea creature's head, causing it to spray ink everywhere.

 _ **I want to be famous**_ **  
**  
The camera pans up to reveal that Lucy and Cassandra had been swimming in the water. Shocked to see it turn black, they immediately begin swimming towards the dock, with the camera following them, where each contestant seen so far runs past Astral who is fiddling with her knife. When she sees a giant tentacle come out of the water, she momentarily is excited, before she realizes she did not summon it and joins the others in running.

 _ **I want to live close to the sun  
**_  
The campers run by the ruined bridge and the entertainment bonfire pit, where Steven and Alice are singing a duet while Clay relaxes nearby.

 _ **So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won  
**_  
A snake slithers up next to Clay and as Pierre creeps towards Clay's guitar case. Clay notices and Pierre bails out, rushing into the forest past Nixia and Evan.

 _ **Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day**_

Nixia and Evan are surrounded by all the animals of the jungle, but when Pierre rushes by, all the animals and Evan rush after him, leaving Nixia standing around confused, reaching out for Evan to come back.

 _'_ _ **Cause I want to be famous**_ _  
_  
Camera moves through the woods to find Julia pulling a resisting Katrina by her hair as Katrina digs her heels into the ground and attempts to continue reading her book through the whole ordeal. When they notice Pierre, the animals, and Evan running towards them, they immediately hide in the foliage of the forest.

 _ **Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana  
**_ **  
**The camera cuts through the jungle, stopping momentarily at the Honeymoon Cabin, where Sherwood is attempting to break into the building, and Chef is getting out of an ATV to stop Sherwood.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
The camera stops at a beach where Stephanie is relaxing in a beach chair and chatting up both Hayes and Aleister, the latter of whom is trying his best to seem tough by doing various poses, while Hayes listens politely and intently. Maddie then appears and chases both the boys off while reaching for their hair with a lighter, before closing said lighter and snuggling up towards Stephanie, offering her a chocolate bar.

 _ **I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous  
**_  
Zubin and Kevin see the interaction between Stephanie, Maddie, Hayes, and Aleister take place and snicker to each other as they enter their team's cabin, and then immediately rush out of it, leaving the door open to reveal Galiris and Lucy completely covered in ink as Astral tries to clean them off to no avail.

The camera cuts to all the contestants sitting around the Po'ino Bonfire, with the Hang Glider of Shame nearby. As the other contestants whistle the rest of the song, Kaleaf and Lina lean in towards each other, about to kiss when Kaleaf is shoved aside by Deamian and he leans in towards Lina, who in turn is now hesitant and looking away. As Kaleaf punches Deamian out of the seat to reclaim it, the camera zooms out and lines are drawn between the stars in the sky to spell out the name of the show and season:

Total Drama Nui Kaua.

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Kevin, Zubin_

Zubin had been granted immunity in the previous challenge by the player that walked by Chris on their way out before any of the other players, and as such, he was in control of the merge cabin keys, though he left the whole cabin unlocked, in an effort to ruffle as little feathers as possible, and also because he'd rather deal with what was currently happening sooner rather than later.

"What's the big idea, huh?" Evan's loud voice caused a bit of an echo throughout the cabin. "Why didn't either of you assholes vote for a Ka Malu O? I thought your team was better than them, but I guess not, you guys just want the Legacy Tiki."

"We're...not on the same side." Kevin mumbled.

"What?" Evan glared at Kevin and walked towards him, almost like a wolf eyeing its prey. "You know, that old broad last week said that you'd be the one to get in my way. Looks like she was right. Guess I've got a new target."

Kevin avoided eye contact and curled up as Zubin stepped in front of him.

"Look, Evan, he's right. We're _not_ on the same side. This is a competition for one million dollars, and only one of us can win. That said, you didn't give us much choice, you and Cassandra each willed immunity to the two Ka Malu O we'd have liked to target."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"As you can see, Evan is none too pleased about what I personally think was a good call by Kevin. Cassandra had the Legacy Tiki, so it's probably in Evan's hands right now, and he might hate the two of us, but he hates Ka Malu O more. Assuming he's the next one out, I'll bet he wills the tiki to Lina."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Evan has been scary since last elimination ceremony. He's like...a feral dog that's backed into a corner, so it's just lashing out at anything in order to find a way out of its trap. Unfortunately, I don't know if Evan has the Heaven Tiki or not, so I need to wait one more elimination ceremony before voting for him."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"This is ridiculous man, freaking ridiculous as shit! My last teammate is freaking GONE, the fear that I can curse someone if I'm voted off was STOLEN from me, and it's only the Final 7! I have to last a whole 5 more weeks and challenges to get to the final 2! All I have to my name is the Heaven Tiki which I haven't played yet, but we're getting to the point that I ought to play it if I don't win immunity."

End Confessional

* * *

"Haven't you two traitors ever heard of the enemy of your enemy?" Evan spat. "Good luck getting any Honua further in the game now!"

And with that outburst, Evan stormed off.

"He's gone, the rabid wolf." Zubin let out a sigh of relief as Kevin also began to relax. "If that outburst is anything to go by though, we're going to have to start being more careful about both who we target and how we go about it."

"I think we should probably get Pierre…" Kevin brought up.

"We've been over this before though, Kev." Zubin urged. "With that Curse Tiki, we can't get rid of Pierre just yet. We need a better hold on the majority."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I'm proud that Kevin's been stepping up to take a more prominent role in this alliance since Gal's departure, but while a second opinion is often helpful, Kevin sometimes has these moments where he thinks too much with his heart. No one likes Pierre here, and we'd all love him gone, but we simply can't do that and not risk some serious consequences for our alliance. We didn't get to the final 7 to just be picked off one by one."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Zubin's been getting stricter about what to do as we've gotten further into the merge. But sometimes he suggests things that I don't want to do. He's looking at Julia, but she's the only one other than Lina who doesn't have a tiki. Since Gal left, I want to help her get rid of all the tikis."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gal would want to vote Pierre." Kevin mumbled as he and Zubin both got up to leave and look for others to talk with on their own time.

"Gal was eliminated two weeks ago." Zubin answered solemnly before the two of them both left the Merge Cabin.

* * *

 _Location: Kokoke Island_

 _Contestant(s): Pierre_

"Ahhh! This is the life, isn't it Victor?" Pierre asked as he leaned against Victor's small hut on the island.

"Don't talk to me!" The former contestant shouted.

Pierre shrugged and began to pace around in the sand.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Today is a wonderful day for Ka Malu O's spectaculendiforous main character, moi! I know precisely where the Legacy Tiki is, once again! It's with the howling lunatic! He's probably too outraged to even think clearly enough to check his bag, the minimalist that he is. As long as he's kept occupied, I should have no trouble nabbing my prize once again!"

End Confessional

* * *

"Tell me, Victor!" Pierre called, ignoring the fact that Victor was now ignoring him. "Of these final seven, who shall inherit the grand prize at the end of this trail?"

He looked directly into a camera. "What of you, dear viewers at home, who do you think the winner is? Is your answer me? That's kind of you, but oh so wrong. See, it's the dog himself who has the best shot. He's become a free agent, his anger a ticking time bomb that can detonate on either of the other two sides in this dramatiquesque warritition!"

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Let's take a look at the standings shall we? We have what appears to be a solid Honua three, though the quiet girl sometimes goes against the pack, and the quiet boy is slowly becoming less quiet, perhaps egged on by his crush's departure. Next we have my own team, the beauty Julia, the brains Katrina, and myself, the only one of the three of us to possess both. We aren't as closely knit or as estranged as either might have you believe, but I know their minds when Chaos ensues, so I fear neither. Finally, we have the usually stoic Evan, now a paranoid wreck since the Curse Tiki was lifted away from him. He's the odd one out in that scenario, the man with more power than he knows what to do with. What remains to be seen is if he still has enough mental fortitude to realize the same and use said power. That of course, will shape my actions to come. Don't you worry, fantabulous fans! I'm not about to let you go un-entertained! Heeheeeheehahahahahaha!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Victor

"I...I think this one might be losing it a bit on this island. Kid needs an audience, but I sure as hell ain't about to be it."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Lina_

"Knock knock!" Julia mimicked Galiris's voice, causing Lina to hurriedly open the door, only to frown seeing that she'd been tricked. Julia, however, managed to worm her way into the room.

"Oh, Katrina isn't holed up in the room?" She wondered, confused. "I've been looking all over for her."

"Yeah, I wonder where she is…" Lina played dumb.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Katrina said last night that she didn't give a shit about the merge cabin, and was going to head back to the Ka Malu O cabin to read in peace and quiet. I'll bet she spent the night there too, but why on earth would I tell _Julia_ that? Isn't she, like, Honua enemy number 1 right now?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Well then, I've got another question, why are _you_ still in your room?" Julia began to mimic Courtney instead. "I mean, surely you'd want to be up and about by now, talking strategy with your alliance-mates, right?"

"I don't know…" Lina admitted. "I always feel so out of the loop when I try to partake in those kinds of talks."

"Really?" Julia hid a grin. "I _never_ feel like I'm out of the loop when I talk with Pierre or Katrina, and well, you know how _out there_ both of them can be."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Sometimes I think I have a little too much fun with this game. Lina's been teetering on the edge of the Honua alliance for like a month now. It shouldn't be too hard to get her to Jenga their group down to the ground so that my own group can sit pretty at the top."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, yeah...but I'm not about to get to the final three without Kevin or Zubin." Lina admitted. "I can't see myself making the right choice on my own…"

"Interesting phrase…" Julia made herself comfortable on Katrina's bed in the brainiac's absence.

"I think i'd stand a fairly good chance against either Pierre or Katrina if we were in the final three, after all. What about you Lina? Imagine your three-man team succeeds. You think you have more support than either of your competitors?"

"I'm not so self-deprecating that I think I won't have support if I make it to the finale, Julia." Lina rolled her eyes.

"That isn't what I asked though." Julia wagged a finger. "I mean, if you make it to the final 3, but so does Kevin and Zubin, which one of the three of you do you think has the highest chance of winning?"

"Um…" Lina began to think.

"Aha." Julia snickered. "You don't need to answer. Knowing that you gave it thought is enough to reveal that you aren't 100% sure that it would be you. Seems like a bum deal, if you ask me. Sure, third place is on the pedestal, but only first place will get you any of the money."

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Oh, Hell Team, you've taught me the art of manipulation well!"

End Confessional

* * *

"I...I guess you have a point…" Lina admitted. "But still, I'm not sure how i'd go about remedying my situation. After all, teaming up with you and the other Ka Malu O only gets my to the final four."

"Please." Julia rolled her eyes. "You think I'm letting Pierre get to the final 3? He might be cute, but he's not as cunning as he'd have you believe. He's been going after that Legacy Tiki like nobody's business since Day 1! No way he wouldn't find a way to obtain it by that point, and I don't want to take my chances after having kinda sorta blindsided him once before."

"Now that you mention it, my alliance has a few tricks up their sleeve I'm not comfortable turning my back on either…" Lina began to seriously ponder all her options.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"I'm...I'm not that stupid. Julia's trying to get me to spill the beans on what the tikis our alliance has do, but the day I tell her is the day I lose this competition. She does, however, bring up a valid point about me needing to be careful about my allies. After all, Kevin and Zubin have been by each other's sides since basically the beginning of the show, meanwhile, I feel like I was only really brought in half-way."

End Confessional

* * *

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to think about that, okay?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'll do that!" Lina smiled until she was sure Julia was gone.

"Alright Lina, think long and hard, what's the best move for _you_?"

* * *

 _Location: Ka Malu O Campsite_

 _Contestant(s): Katrina, Zubin_

Zubin had not expected to find Katrina back in the old Ka Malu O cabin, though he supposed it was a welcome surprise, since he'd meant to ask her a few questions anyways.

"Didn't think I'd run into anyone else out here…" He admitted, though Katrina seemed intentionally ignoring him.

"I have to wonder though, why did you step in to grant me immunity over yourself? You seem like the type to not give that up."

"Ohmygodyou'resofuckingannoying…" Katrina muttered under her breath before turning her head towards Zubin. "I must insist you go mouth-breathe air somewhere else. A girl is trying to read here."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I should have expected her attitude to be something more like this. Also, I breathe through my nose, thank you very much."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"It's like every time I _think_ I can get some time to myself, they have to find me like goddamn moths to a fucking flame and ruin it!"

End Confessional

* * *

"But seriously, Katrina, why just give me immunity like that? It didn't feel like a standard _Katrina_ play, if you don't mind me saying."  
"I do mind you saying. I mind your very existence in this cabin."

Zubin didn't budge.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Maybe, just maybe, if I poke the bear enough, she'll break down and tell me whatever it is that's going on."

End Confessional

* * *

"I'm not about to leave this cabin and neither are you until you tell me what the deal last Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony was. I didn't need or want immunity, so why?"

"You're not going to like the answer, but since it seems you're insistent on ruining my day, I no longer feel bad about ruining yours. Lina was the brains behind that play, not me. If you have any more questions about it, go take it up with her."

Zubin frowned.

Katrina had been correct.

He was incredibly unhappy to hear that.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I hope this teaches the pest to not stick his nose where noses need not be stuck."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"So, Lina was the one who made me immune? Even after I said that I especially needed to lay low? I won't bring this up just yet. It's...not the best time for our alliance to break down."

End Confessional

* * *

"I see…" Zubin said through gritted teeth. "I guess that concludes my business here then."

"No it doesn't." Katrina stopped him from leaving with her words. "I have a proposition for you."

"I'm listening."

"I want to know what that tiki you guys found before Pierre did does. In exchange, I'll vote with you tonight."

"I won't tell you that information." Zubin refused. "If what you told me is true, I have more important things to worry about."

And with that, he left the cabin.

"Fucking finally." Katrina sighed as she continued to read through her book with a smile.

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Julia_

"Evan!" Julia called Evan over as they met each other in the forest. "What happened at that ceremony? I voted the way you wanted me to, but Lina's still here, Cassandra is gone, and when I went to the Ka Malu O site, Katrina had already found a new area to read, so I can't talk to her at all. I need a third vote Evan! _Everyone_ here, needs a third vote!"

"I know, I know that! Okay!?" Evan was clearly stressed. "I was too paranoid earlier and I scared Cassandra into voting for me, which somehow tied us up, but I wasn't about to throw a challenge just so she could keep going! I barely knew her! Look, I don't like you, but you're the closest thing to an ally I have at the moment. We need a plan."

"We do indeed need a plan." Julia couldn't agree more. "I was thinking perhaps a Honua target, followed by Katrina, since she doesn't seem keen on playing to the team anymore. I'll let you pick the Honua target as well."

"Hm…" Evan's eyes narrowed. "Kevin and Zubin have to both be sitting on tikis, and we're nearing the end of the game. Better to nip them now before they have the chance to use them. Besides, they deserve it after that backhanded blindside."

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"They deserve every ounce of Ka Lani style revenge coming their way!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"He's like a bull ready to charge at whatever name you spit out in front of him! It's...actually kind of startling. Sure am glad it's not me who's the last one standing from their team."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin_

 _Contestant(s): Katrina, Kevin_

As Katrina entered the merge cabin, she noticed Kevin was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey." She sighed as she sat across from him and closed her book.

"Hey…" Kevin responded with a similar sigh.

"You're the Asperger's kid, right?" Katrina inquired. "That makes your IQ a bit higher than normal doesn't it? Even if your social game is fucking atrocious."

"IQ doesn't mean anything." Kevin's mind was clearly not with the conversation.

"I have an IQ of 187, I'm a bona fide genius, it definitely means something."

"You don't seem that smart to me." Kevin shrugged.

"You retarded little-" Katrina's eyes narrowed. "What makes you so sure?"

"You wasted your immunity tiki. The fear challenge, I saw both eliminations, and you didn't need to play it. I didn't waste my immunity tiki. I would've gone home. The observable data suggests I'm smarter."

Katrina was dumbfounded at how unafraid of her this kid was, but was also a little impressed.

"I suppose I can grant you that small point. Though in my defense, I did have a clearly crazy pyromaniac on my team who ruined essentially the entire vote. That remind me, I've collected all the chocolate she's stashed over the island. Want some?"  
"...really…"

"Yes, really." Katrina sighed.

"No...I said not really." Kevin spoke up.

Katrina was clearly losing her patience with the boy across the table from her, but he was the last one left she cared to try to form an allegiance with.

"Listen, Kevin...I have a proposition for you, concerning your tiki."

"The Love Tiki?" Kevin asked.

"You were going to play it to save Galiris before she stopped you, which means it saves someone from elimination, at least."

"I wouldn't have been able to do it then anyways." Kevin admitted. "Pretty sure the votes have to not have been read yet."

"So, you _don't_ mind telling me about the tiki?"

Kevin shrugged. "Not really. Gal doesn't believe in tikis."

"In that case, perhaps you'd like to hear a plan I have." Katrina couldn't help it. She was finally able to start making a play she actually _felt_ like making, and a smile formed across her face.

"Let's hear it." Kevin shrugged again.

A short while later, Chris's voice echoed through the loudspeakers. "Attention all campers, please report to the Nui Kaua docks immediately! Also make sure that you see absolutely no boats on your way here! Our interns say they got them all, but they're also clearly incompetent because we have another situation on our hands! This is your challenge, yes, but this is also _not_ a drill!"

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Docks_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Alright campers, Chef and I were busy setting up what was _supposed_ to be a challenge we've had planned for a while," Chris explained. "But we've hit a bit of a snafu, in terms of the show. You see, we _were_ bringing in Melody from Zero Sum as a guest judge for said challenge, but she's instead decided to abscond with the money case."

"This situation feels...familiar." Julia crossed her arms. "Didn't Heather do the same thing back on season-"

"Yeah, and the same good-for-nothing intern was guarding the case this time too!" Chris shouted at someone off-camera. "Look the point is, she can't have gone far, or have left the island. As such the person who delivers the case back to us wins immunity and the keys to the Merge Cabin! Understand? Good! Now get going! Find the case and bring it back here!"

* * *

 _Challenge: Million-Dollar Search_

 _Rules: Contestants must scour the island until they find Melody and the case of the million dollars, at which point they must somehow retrieve the case. The contestant who manages to hand the case off to Chris wins immunity and the keys to the Merge Cabin._

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Katrina_

Katrina had lingered behind the other contestants as they ran off to various other island locals, and when she noticed no one had decided to check the forest, she made her way there.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Am I trying? Not really. No one's going to give a shit about me at this ceremony, so I'll be fine even without immunity. Especially when we have Pierre, Evan, and the whole of Honua competing for attention."

End Confessional

* * *

As she continued her path through the forest, she stopped short, as she caught a glimpse of someone else. A somewhat short girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes rushing through the brush with a briefcase clutched in her left hand. Her eyes met Katrina's and her lips parted into a smile as she disappeared deeper into the woods.

Katrina stared almost dumbfounded for a second, before shrugging and heading, at a walking pace, in the direction Melody had run.

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Look, we all know I'm making it through the next ceremony. No reason to stress myself out and exert unnecessary effort this challenge."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River_

 _Contestant(s): Lina, Pierre_

"Ah, there she is!" Pierre exclaimed, startling Lina as she crossed to the mountain side of the Muliwai River.

"Gah! Where?!"

"Oh, no, not miss Melody, _you_!" Pierre approached from the opposite river bank. "I've been ever so curious about Katrina's willing her immunity to Zubin at the last elimination ceremony. Perhaps you, the Honua who lives with her, can shed some light."

"Yeah right!" Lina called back. "Like I'd tell _you_ anything! You're just looking for an excuse to drive a wedge in our alliance!"

"Oh, Lina, you have such naivettitude." Pierre grinned as he shook his head condescendingly. "You've failed to deny knowledge, which means you _are_ privy to the reasons behind that strange occurance. I may not know what's going on, but if you could at least _try_ to refrain from stealing my spotlight for unpredictable chaost, I'd appreciate it. Now, I must be off, for having more than one person in the same place might not be the best way to solve this puzzlenundrum."

And before Lina could respond again, Pierre had left.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Yes, the fantabulous spectacle that is Pierre Khansi is ringleading this final seven, and he will continue to do so until the bitter end! The Lina girl is starting to realize her game is a dead end, and with that, her rational thinking is replaced by the lovable chaos of raw emotion. It will be her vote that eliminates my greatest threat once I win this immunity!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Right, I'm in the final 7! I can't continue to make mistakes like letting Pierre of all people intuit what I do or don't know about events! I've got to remember that everyone here realizes that this is a competition, and even if I'm friends with a few of them, it's not like there can be more than one winner. Maybe I _should_ make a move this time. I might not get another chance, after all. In either case though, I need to go find Melody and win immunity!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Kailani Beach_

 _Contestant(s); Evan, Lina_

As Lina made her way towards Ka Lani beach, she noticed Evan, who gave her a quick glare, but didn't do much else.

"I guess she's not here then, huh…" Lina mumbled.

"No, but she'll be back." Evan shared more information than Lina had expected.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I'm rightly pissed at Zubin and Kevin for their plan to vote Cassandra, but Lina seemed to only be following the pack. There's smarts in staying under the radar, especially this late in the game. It's harder to do such with less people and should be commended when someone is pulling it off.

Further, she was my target, yet she survived. I would not be opposed to working with this one if she desired to off a Ka Malu O, like that bastard Pierre. Then again, I also wouldn't mind if she wanted to give Kevin and Zubin a taste of their own blindside medicine, let them see how _they_ like it. In any case though, this challenge is about tracking and strength, and I outperform Lina in both those areas. I'm not worried about letting her know my strategy, since it won't change the end result."

End Confessional

* * *

"This is the quickest way back to the docks. Someone must have thought to scale Mt. Immolate, so there's little hope of Melody making an air-escape on the Hang Glide of Shame, and she'll likely attempt to swim from the ruined bridge nearby. Further, anyone who grabs the case will head this way as well. Tell you what, what do you say you stay here and be on guard? I'll head further in and see if I can't wrestle the case from her myself. This way, at least, we can be sure that Pierre doesn't win."

"I...I guess that works." Lina responded quietly, still shocked at Evan's willingness to divulge information.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"I guess when you're the last member left of your team you don't often have someone to talk strategy with."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin_

Kevin was the contestant who had thought to scale Mt. Immolate, and he was rewarded as he noticed Melody hefting the briefcase behind her.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me, there's one up _here_ too?" She panted, clearly exhausted.

"Are you Melody?" Kevin asked.

Melody grinned. "No…" She responded as she thought of what to say. "I'm an intern wearing their personal clothes. I need to get to a safe place to guard this case, because Melody is coming for it!"

"Well…" Kevin seemed to believe her. "The Honeymoon Cabin is probably the safest place. It's deep in the woods but-"

"Oh, thank you! You're a life-saver, and a show-saver!" Melody grinned a lie as she began to start back down the mountain. "I think I see the cabin. I'll see you some other time Kevin! You're my favorite Honua!"

* * *

Confessional: Melody

"Because you're the easiest to trick!"

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"I might not know if that's Melody or not, but I know that Zubin and Julia will know, and I saw those two running towards the Honeymoon Cabin when we all left. Someone will come back up this way, and I will be the goalie on the mountain."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Honeymoon Cabin(Exterior)_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Zubin_

Julia remained as hidden as she could while she trailed Zubin, who in turn was hiding in wait for Melody.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"Melody doesn't know that nothing is going to open the Honeymoon Cabin doors, so she'll try those first, at which point, I can get the jump on her. When I'm around halfway to the docks with the case, I'll lose it to someone else. No matter what, I can't actually perform _well_ in this challenge. Honua as a trio is too powerful now for me to stand out among the other two. I need to take a page from their books and slink more into the shadows."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"And so, the Z-man has decided to stake out Honeymoon, eh? In that case, I'll stake out the Z-man. His challenge performance has been above-average since the merge after all, and I'd bet my bottom dollar that he's got some kind of Twist Tiki in his pocket, making him a great choice to get rid of, or to at least _scare_ into making a fatal mistake. Besides, it'll be nice to swoop in and steal Melody's briefcase if she actually does show up, since I know exactly how to do it _and_ have the tools necessary to pull it off." Julia clears her throat at looks at the camera expectantly, clearly hoping whoever might be watching at home knows how this is about to go.

End Confessional

* * *

Thanks to Kevin's earlier advice, Melody did eventually appear at the cabin, and as Zubin had predicted, she tried the door first.

"Damn." She muttered as it didn't open. "Maybe a way in from above?" She was about to begin climbing when Zubin cleared his throat behind her.

"Allow me to be the first to compliment how far you were able to get in your season despite being almost universally reviled. Unfortunately, I'll be taking that case from you now."

"Not a chance, Wadia!" Melody invoked the power of calling someone by their last name. "I'm keeping the money, and I bet I can outrun you!"

"Oh...I didn't know you had gotten into the thieving business…" Julia mimicked Oswald's voice as she threw the sounds she made to sound like they were coming from a separate area. "Perhaps it's your way of letting me know that you still have feelings for me, as I for you?"

" _YOU!"_ Melody turned around with an angry fury, towards the sound of the voice, forcing Zubin to duck under a swinging briefcase as Julia quickly rushed out of her hiding spot to nab it.

"Yes!" She held the money close. "Next stop, immunity!"

"Crap." Zubin sighed, before looking at Melody. "Well, I suppose before I do anything else, I ought to turn you in."

"Ah…" Victor appeared a few moments later to take Melody away. " _There's_ the cannonball."

"Not funny, asshole." Melody crossed her arms. "The doctors said I was lucky to have not gotten a concussion from that. Besides, _I'm_ not the one who has to complete community service for wrecking property and failing the finalist that I volunteered for in spectacular fashion."

"Yeah, yeah, save it for people who are dumb enough to believe your bullshit." Victor led a bound Melody away, though he did turn back towards Zubin.

"Thanks for getting her, but you're a fucking idiot in that you didn't grab the case and run. You better get going right now if you want any chance at immunity."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I do need to try a _little_ bit this challenge. I need to look incompetent, not overconfident like a certain arrogant brainiac."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Mt. Immolate_

 _Contestant(s): Julia, Katrina, Kevin_

"You're sure this plan will work?" Kevin asked of Katrina who had made her way to the mountain.

"Of course I am. I don't have an IQ of 187 for nothing, after all. Now, you said the girl you saw was heading towards Honeymoon? Yeah, you fucked up, that was Melody. That said, if someone else has the case, they'll take the shortcut over the mountain instead of heading into the forest where there's probably other campers crawling around."

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I don't intend to take the case, but I do intend to find out who was the one who took it from Melody. Merely for data analysis."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Katrina is grumpy, but she is smart, so when she came to me with an idea, I knew it was probably good to listen."

End Confessional

* * *

It wasn't long before Julia showed up with the case, surprising both Katrina and Kevin atop the mountain, and at once they both rushed in to try to grab it from her, though Katrina seemed more to be helping Kevin take the case than actually trying to grab it herself.

"Wh-Katrina, what are you doing?!" Julia noticed what was going on. "Just grab the case and run! A Ka Malu O needs immunity!"

"Pierre's got this." Katrina replied calmly as she forced the case from Julia's weakened grip into Kevin's hands, and the Honua boy ran off down the mountain.

"I haven't seen or heard from Pierre at all, since the challenge began!" Julia responded. "What makes you so sure that he's-"

"Would it kill you to just let me show you what I mean for once instead of assuming laziness?" Katrina groaned. "Look! By the entrance to the forest near the docks."

Julia did as she was told and could make out the figure of a contestant that she normally wouldn't have been able to recognize, except for the fact that a small slithering figure was nearby.

"Pierre and Silivia." She nodded. "I guess that's fine. Come on, let's go figure out what his plan for tonight is!"

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Mainly because _my_ plan for tonight might change depending, but as long as everyone thinks he's in control, I've gotta keep up the act."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"She might be able to fool the retards of the other teams and the fop on hers, but she'll have to try harder than that to convince me that she isn't the one calling the shots here. It's an insult to my intellect that she thinks she can get away with that."

End Confessional

* * *

"Eh, you can tell me later." Katrina sighed. "The case is down the mountain, so no one will come this way. I think I'll finally finish the book I brought with me."

"W-what is it, by the way?" Julia asked.

"I'll tell you once I've finished." Katrina promised. "That answer will have to do for now. Now go figure out what useless chaos the fop wants to stir up."

* * *

 _Location: Kailani Beach_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Kevin, Lina_

Evan returned from the forest to where Lina was waiting. "Alright, Lina!" He announced. "We've got the case coming this way, get ready to nab it!"

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I know Kevin has the case, and he's not a Ka Malu O, but I don't want either him or Zubin to win immunity either. Lina should be my only competition in an ideal world."

End Confessional

* * *

"Uh, right!" Lina wasn't sure what to do, but adopted a defensive stance, only to be taken completely by surprised when Kevin rushed out of the woods.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Kevin?! Kevin has the case?! Great, while I've been standing here doing nothing because Evan told me to, Kevin's been actually trying to complete the challenge! Was Julia really right? Do I need to start making a power move?"

End Confessional

* * *

"Kevin!" Evan shouted as he rushed towards the smaller boy. "I'm going to enjoy ripping that case from you!"

"G-gahh!" Kevin flinched as Evan neared him, and in a flight or fight response, swung the case, clocking Evan in the shin.

"DAMMIT!" Evan shouted as he took a knee to look at his wound while Kevin continued to spin the case until he lost grip of it and it flew towards Lina.

"Lina!" He called. "Go!"

"Uh…" Lina hesitated for a split second before she grabbed the case and rushed, in her confusion, towards the Muliwai River.

"The fuck?" Evan wondered as Kevin rushed after her. "That's the...wrong way…"

He looked over to the docks, realizing his injury, and headed over that way, to set an ambush.

* * *

 _Location: Muliwai River_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

"Lina!" Kevin called after her as the two rushed down the river, grabbing a wandering Zubin's attention. "This isn't the right way!"

"Oh, there you guys are!" Zubin rushed up to the two of them. "And you have the case, great! Which one of you is faster?"

"Uh…" Kevin panted as he pointed at Lina.

"In that case, Lina, let me wrestle the case from you until we get to the forest and have a witness, then you take it back from me and rush to the finish line."

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"Well, if I want to start making a play, it's better to make it sooner rather than later."

End Confessional

* * *

"I think I'll just take the case to the finish line then." Lina decided. "What does it matter if the end result is the same?"

"No, I need to look incompetent to the others so they need to guess who to vote-"

"You two have two twist tikis in our possession, both of which can be used to save you if you really think you're a target, Zubin." Lina stood her ground. "I don't have that luxury though."

"Lina...is this still about…"  
"I'm sorry, I know, I know, it's in the past, and it's not that I'm still mad about it but forgiving is one thing...forgetting is another. I simply have no way of knowing that you won't just take the case and run."

"I see…" Zubin sighed as he looked down. "I guess I can't fault you for that logic. Fine, keep the case. I'll trust you, and so will Kevin, right?"

"Of course." Kevin nodded. "Honua to the end."

"Thanks for understanding, guys." Lina gave a quick nod back to them and began to rush actually towards the docks this time.

"Follow her, and try to make sure that no one takes the case." Zubin suggested to Kevin. "I need to go make a confessional."

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"I had a fear that something like this might happen. Lina spends too much time away from Kev and I. It hurts to know that I still haven't regained her trust, and I need to entertain the possibility that I might never. It's not a fun position to be in, since I seem to have played into a corner. I can't just sever my ties with her, since Kev and I need her vote, and I _want_ to be friends with her and reach the final three together, but at the same time, I can't fully trust someone who admits that they don't fully trust me. I just hope nothing happens that makes me want to play the Maple Tiki prematurely. It's our trump card, and we need to keep it heavily under wraps."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Nahele Forest_

 _Contestant(s): Kevin, Lina, Pierre_

Kevin followed Lina through the forest, and as they neared the end, Pierre turned to meet them with a smile.

"Smart of you to tie up the numbers, Honua, but it won't help you." He grinned as Silivia slithered as quickly as she could towards Lina's leg's to trip her.

"Just hand the case to me, and you can both walk away from this peacefully. Curse your friend and save yourselves from elimination."

While Lina seemed to be giving the matter a bit of thought, Kevin stood his ground.

"Gal left me in charge of Honua. I will not curse a single member. Nor will I listen to you after what you've done to Cassandra."

"Fine then, it's your own elimination." Pierre laughed like he couldn't care less about Kevin's mini-monologue.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"It appears that with Galiris gone, Kevin is trying his best to emulate her. Touching, but ultimately worthless when he's up against myself and the beautious Silivia. Still, that helpless desperation makes for a better show in the end. What I need is to ensure that as many people as possible are kept on edge."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"And here I was considering handing the case over for a second, but Kevin did make a good point. Pierre can't be trusted at all. That much should be common sense to everybody."

End Confessional

* * *

"Gahh!" Lina tiptoed over Silivia and attempted to rush past Pierre, but the maroon-clad boy was easily able to grab the case from her.

"Way to dig your graves, Honua!" He cackled as he took off towards the docks.

"No!" Lina began to sprint after him, while Kevin remained behind, having grabbed Silivia, who was trying to slither down his body and back onto the ground, but couldn't as he continued to move his arms to block her path.

"No, you aren't going anywhere until the challenge is over. I believe in Lina."

* * *

 _Location: Nui Kaua Docks_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Julia, Lina, Pierre_

"Pierre!" Julia caught up to Pierre as Lina trailed behind them, out of earshot, while Evan waited near the docks, hoping to nab the bag. "What's the plan? Once the challenge is over, I can't talk to you anymore!"

"Plan, my dear Julia?" Pierre responded, "It's simple! Stir up distrust in Honua so we can off one of them. They pose a threat to us with such large numbers!"

"Then let me just take that case from you!" Julia lunged for the case, though Pierre lifted it just in time for Lina to begin to catch up.

"Give that case back to me!" She announced herself. "I need to win for Honua!"

"Lina, now's not the time I had in mind when I told you to start making your own plays." Julia said as she once again lunged for the case in Pierre's hands, only for him to maneuver it out of the way again.

"I'm coming for that case, Ka Malu O!" Evan announced as he began to head towards the quarreling trio.

As the four of them all handled the case, moving closer and closer to where Chris was standing, it seemed clear that at any point someone to wrestle it out of Pierre's hands and run off, or that Pierre could break free from his pursuers.

"It's down to the wire between Evan, Julia, Lina, and Pierre!" Chris announced. "Who is it going to be? Who will hand me the case and win both immunity and the keys to the Merge Cabin?"

Soon, someone had handed the briefcase to Chris.

"And we have our winner!" Chris announced.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Pierre wins immunity!" He held Pierre's arm up and placed the keys to the Merge Cabin in his palm. "Pierre, since you are cursed, you can spend until the elimination ceremony in the merge cabin, but you cannot talk to the other contestants."

"That's fine Chris." Pierre flicked his hair. "They're not allowed inside anyways. Let's see how they fare without all this extra comfort they've gotten used to."

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ah, and now does it truly matter who leaves? After all, I've made it to the final 6! Another round of Pierre for your viewing pleasure, my worldly audience! I do hope you stay tuned!"

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Merge Cabin Exterior_

 _Contestant(s): Evan, Julia, Katrina, Kevin, Lina, Zubin_

The remaining contestants were all on edge, excepting Katrina who seemed to be more intent on finishing the few remaining pages of her book.

Throughout the evening, various groups would meet up to discuss a voting strategy.

The first to break away was Kevin and Lina, while Zubin was doing business in the woods.

"Kevin, I want to share a worry that I have." Lina admitted. "That worry is that Zubin doesn't have our best interests at heart in his actions. I haven't been able to shake that feeling since the trust challenge. I was wondering if maybe we could get his tiki off of him and vote him out now?"

Kevin thought for a moment, and sighed.

"Lina, I need time to figure out if that's true. I want to trust my friend though, and I think you should too. Of course, If I _do_ discover that he does not have the best interest of Honua in mind, then I will not hesitate, but Gal wants Honua to stick together, so I will honor her request."

"I guess that's fair…" Lina admitted. "But I think you ought to really ask yourself if us being in the final 3 with Zubin is a good thing or not as well. You're smart and all, but so is he! And remember his friendship with Clay? He's out for the Legacy Tiki, just going about it in a friendly and non-hostile way as opposed to Pierre's clear villainy. Come on, he's probably said stuff that you don't agree with too, right?"

"He...did mention that Gal was supposed to be blindsided once it was only Honua left…" Kevin mumbled. "Look...I said I'll think about it. I mean that, but let's just put a pin in this alright? I think for now we should figure out what we as Honua want to do, and that includes Zubin."

"I'll go get him for an alliance strategy session then." Lina announced.

Meanwhile, Julia and Evan were having their own conversation.

"Could you believe that little turd slammed that heavy metal case into me?" Evan complained to Julia, who grinned in response.

"Am I to take that as meaning you wouldn't be opposed to voting him off?"

"I feel I owe it to the rest of Ka Lani to vote for him at least once, and it's going to be this elimination." Evan confirmed. "Whether or not it takes him out of the game is irrelevant. I just need to get all this _anger_ out of me. What I want to know is why you're so keen on voting him."

"Kevin is the only player giving Honua a fighting chance." Julia revealed her thinking. "Lina's been both at odds with Zubin and worrying about the competition since that trust challenge. Only their mutual friendship with Kevin is keeping them a coherent group. Like they say, remove the head of the snake."

"An interesting snake analogy coming from the Harley Quinn to Pierre's Joker." Evan noted.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"This dumb brute of a Ka Lani, even when talking _strategy_ with me, still assumes I'm some sort of devoted maniac? Wooow is he ever wrong. Pierre's only necessary until the Final 4, at which point, I get rid of him, his curse tiki no longer matters, and he'll will me the Legacy Tiki from whoever he stole it from. My real ally in this is Katrina, you know, the one no one would choose to see win over me."

End Confessional

* * *

"There you are." Katrina had run into Zubin before Lina did.

"You were looking for me?" Zubin wondered. "Why?"

"Evan is too dangerous in this game at this point." She cut straight to the chase. "I know you're looking to oust a Ka Malu O tonight, but Evan is the way to go here. He has no ties to anyone left in the competition and that makes him unpredictable, a threat to your game and my game on par with the kind Pierre stirs up."

"Tell you what, I'll run it by the other Honua to see what they think about it." Zubin promised. "But I can't make any promises. We're in a good spot right now, and ruining it would be even more problematic than anything Evan could attempt to do."

"Fine then." Katrina sighed. "But when this comes back to bite you in the ass, don't say I didn't warn you."

As Katrina walked away, Lina also found Zubin. "Hey, Honua meeting?"

"Right, we ought to discuss who to vote for." Zubin nodded.

"Hey…" Evan walked up to Kevin. "That was a number you did to my fucking shin today."

"S-sorry…" Kevin mumbled an apology.

"I'm voting for you because of it, and because of Cassandra, just so you know."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kevin wondered.

"Because I realized something when I was talking to Julia earlier." Evan responded. "To get anywhere in this competition at this point, your best bet is to cut off the head of the snake, the contestants that glue their allies together. Julia seems intent on voting for you too, so I'm here to make a pre-emptive apology and a formal request of you. The apology is that I promised to vote for you, so I won't be going back on my word. The request though, is that you and the rest of Honua vote for Julia."

"Julia?" Kevin wondered. "But she's not a threat. She has no tiki."

"That's true." Evan nodded. "But she's the only one who constantly is able to listen to the thoughts of both Pierre and Katrina. She told me earlier to cut off the heads of the snake like that."

"I'll have to see what Zubin and Lina feel about this." Kevin admitted. "But I'll bring it up."

As the Honua alliance finally met, each contestant was coming in with a different idea of who they wanted to vote off.

"So, I really think Evan is the best choice to be voting off right now" Lina admitted. "We can't afford to take any chances, and if he has the Heaven Tiki this might be our one and only shot to get rid of him."

"Katrina came to me expressing a similar desire." Zubin admitted. "But I have my own thoughts on this matter. Katrina holds the Chris Tiki, which allows her to practice any challenge, and she's been very mobile this past week, looking for any kind of short-term ally. But she's cut from the same cloth as Julia and Pierre. We can trust her as far as we can through her, and while she might be skinny and underweight, none of us are quite capable of tossing her very far. I say we get her out while no one expects it."

"What about Julia?" Kevin wondered. "She's um...got no tiki...and is...glue?"

He was having trouble remembering what Evan had told him earlier.

"Well, we need to come to a decision soon, the sun is setting, and once it's nightfall, you know Chris is going to force us up Mt. Immolate." Zubin urged the alliance. "I do have another reason for wanting Katrina gone as well. Lina, she's your roommate. It means she knows how to read one of us incredibly easily. Pierre's a threat for that same reason, but he's both immune and hiding behind that Curse Tiki, which we can't afford to have on one of our heads until the final 5, assuming we all make it that far."

"I...guess that makes sense…" Lina admitted. "We should act like we're voting Evan out though to see if he plays a Heaven Tiki. If he doesn't, we can probably safely assume he's not holding one."

"I guess that's the plan then." Kevin sighed. "Katrina?"

The other two nodded.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Oof, this is really making me nervous. I hope the plan works."

End Confessional

* * *

 _Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony_

 _Contestant(s): All Remaining_

"Welcome soon to be final 6…" Chris grinned as the final 7 contestants all took their places around the Po'ino Bonfire.

* * *

Confessional: Pierre

"Ah, my time at the Merge Cabin was quite enlightening. As I suspected, blinded by anger, the Ka Lani wolf forget to check his bags, and I, shall we say, stumbled upon and certain trinket!"

He holds up what is clearly the Legacy Tiki. "And now, my dear viewers at home, we can get started on prepping for the grand finale!"

End Confessional

* * *

"So, Zubin…" Chris turned his attention towards Zubin, who visibly winced at the mention of his name. "Wow, look at that…"

"I can't help it Chris, it's startling being this late into the game when you hear your name called like that. For a moment I thought I'd already incurred a vote somehow!"

This was met with lighthearted laughter from the rest of the contestants.

"I was going to ask" Chris continued "going into tonight's vote, Pierre is immune, so you can't vote for him, but we're also at a stage of the game where even one shift in vote can easily shuffle around those who have power and those who don't. What exactly do you think the theme of tonight's vote is?"

"Now that's a question I didn't think I'd hear…" Zubin began to ponder the answer. "I suppose if I had to give the theme of tonight's vote it'd be...illumination."

"A strange choice of words." Chris responded.

"I think what he means, Chris…" Julia chimed in, "Is that this elimination ceremony is the one where we will find out where, exactly, everyone's loyalties truly lie. I mean, once we're down to 6 or 5 people, you're better off committing to whoever you're aligned with at the time, because there isn't much room to hide, and you _don't_ want that target on your back so late in the game."

"Unless you're Pierre and have freaking Tiki superpowers." Evan couldn't help butting in.

Pierre, who could not talk, gave a smile and shrugged with an agreeing nod.

"Evan, do you agree with this illumination theme?" Chris asked.

"You know, strange as it sounds, I do." Evan nodded. "Though maybe for a different reason than the one Julia gave. I think it will more than anything, prove where everyone stands _to themselves_. Like, I've spent this whole week a paranoid wreck because, well, look at me! The last Ka Lani among all these hyper-intelligent and strategic players, but it's only by having talked to so many of them over the course of this afternoon that I've been able to piece together exactly where I think I stand, and what I need to do now."

"So you think you're safe tonight?"

"Not in the slightest." Evan shook his head. "Sometimes though, you just have no choice but to trust your competition."

"Do you though?" Katrina piped up as she finished the final passage of her book and put it in her bag. "After all, none of us have seen the Heaven Tiki played yet, have we?"

"Katrina makes a good point." Chris grinned. "Kevin, Lina, care to weigh in on this?"

"Well, I don't have a tiki myself…" Lina admitted "So I'm not sure how it might feel, but I do know that if _I_ were in Evan's position Chris, I'd play that tiki tonight if I had it. One free agent among two groups of three, sure there's the swing vote theory, but there's also that Curse Tiki, so if Pierre doesn't win immunity, our Honua group could easily just vote him off next round."

"I don't think it's _that_ simple Chris." Julia teased. "After all, Pierre's been without immunity before, but they couldn't vote him off. He can't talk outside of challenges anymore, but I feel their underestimating exactly what his charisma is capable of."

"I…" Kevin stood up.

Katrina rose a brow, intrigued by the action.

"I think this ceremony is more appropriately defined by the word crossroads. Whichever way each contestant chooses to walk down those crossroads will impact the rest of the game, and some may make decisions that surprise the rest, but that's part of the game. Illumination implies that we've all been playing the same game from the beginning and don't intend to change. Crossroads by contrast, implies the ability to shift gears before it's too late."

"End Confessional" Chris joked as Kevin was met with muffled applause. "But in all seriousness, are you all ready to vote?"  
"Yes…" All except the silent Pierre replied.

"Alright then, Julia, you're up first."

Julia walked up to the voting area and wrote a name down.

* * *

Confessional: Julia

"Nothing personal of course, just knocking Honua down a peg."

End Confessional

* * *

When she came back, Zubin was sent up. He clearly wrote Katrina's name down on his paper.

* * *

Confessional: Zubin

"You're starting to talk too much strategy, and that's a threat to the strategy alliance."

End Confessional

* * *

As he finished, Evan was sent up, and he wrote Kevin's name down.

* * *

Confessional: Evan

"I told you earlier that I'm sorry for this vote, but I want to at least stay true to my word."

End Confessional

* * *

Lina was called up after Evan, and she spent a long time at the voting booth, before finally writing a name down.

* * *

Confessional: Lina

"I guess it was now or never…"

End Confessional

* * *

Kevin was called to vote next. He wrote down a name and showed it to the screen.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"This probably seems mean and unexpected, sorry, but it has to happen."

End Confessional

* * *

Finally, Katrina walked up to vote.

After she had written a name down, she silently walked back to her seat.

"Pierre.." Chris smiled at Pierre. "Who is it that you vote for?"

Pierre flashed a grin.

"Kevin." He cackled as he saw Kevin's face go pale.

"Alright then." Chris nodded. "I'll go tally the votes."

He left for what felt like an eternity, but eventually came back with the jar of votes.

"I have here the votes. If you receive the most votes, you must immediately board the Hang Glide of Shame off of the island, and give up all hope of winning this season of Total Drama. If _anyone_ has a Twist or Immunity Tiki and would like to play it...now would be the time to do so."

Pierre looked around.

Lina eyed Zubin and Evan nervously, looking to see if they would play tikis.

Katrina and Kevin exchanged glances.

Evan reached down,

And scratched his shin.

Zubin put his hand into his pocket,

And kept it there.

As Chris took a breath however-

"Chris." Katrina stood up.

"The hell is she doing?" Pierre mouthed silently to Julia.

"I don't know!" Julia mouthed back, just as surprised as everyone else seemed to be.

Katrina took out a tiki from her bag.

"I'm told that this is the Love Tiki, and it can save both myself and another player from elimination, so long as we wait until the next ceremony in the Honeymoon Cabin, correct?"

"Is there someone in particular you'd like to play it to protect other than yourself?" Chris asked.

"Kevin." Katrina responded.

"Kevin, what the heck is this, buddy?" Zubin laughed as he asked the question, but it was clear he was incredibly nervous.

"What the-..." Even Lina seemed dumbfounded by what had happened.

"This... _is_ the Love Tiki." Chris announced. "Any votes cast against Katrina or Kevin will not count. Anyone else want to play a tiki?"

No one else did.

"Then I'll read the votes." Chris announced. "First vote is for…

Kevin, doesn't count.

One vote for...Katrina, doesn't count.

Another vote for Katrina, doesn't count.

That's in total, two votes Kevin, Pierres and the written vote, and two votes Katrina, none of them counting.

A third vote for Kevin. That's three votes Kevin, two votes Katrina, none of them counting, two votes left."

Evan, Lina, Julia, and Zubin all looked at each other with worried expressions. None of them had any clue as to what was going on, and even Pierre seemed utterly dumbfounded by the recent turn of events. He'd expected a much different outcome going into this ceremony.

"The last two votes are for the same contest." Chris announced.

"Placing 7th in Total Drama Nui Kaua is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…"

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"I suppose, since I am finished, I'll tell you viewers the name of the book I was reading."

Postpone Confessional

* * *

"…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

… Julia."

* * *

Resume Confessional

"Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_."

End Confessional

* * *

"Excuse me?!" Julia mimicked Heather as she stood up in shock. " _What_?!" She turned to Katrina. "The heck did you do this for?"

"Any number of reasons, really." Katrina sighed. "Still it was clear you and the fop weren't listening to me. Might as well take the show away from you. Of course there's also the fact that I told you from the very start that I didn't like you nor did I want to work with you. What I admit I fail to understand is why you're so surprised this happened at all. You should know it best yourself…"

Katrina grinned as she crossed her arms.

"I was put on the Hell Team for a reason."

"Woooow…." Julia was beside herself with utter disbelief even as she was escorted towards the Hang Glide of Shame.

"Good going on handing Honua the win." She chided before blowing Pierre a kiss, which he caught, and gliding off.

"Kevin…" Lina and Zubin looked up at him.

"Kev, I thought we had a plan…"

"I'm sorry." Kevin said. "I'm still on your side, you just need to trust me."  
"How can we after that, though!" Lina complained.

* * *

Confessional: Kevin

"Lina and Zubin will be left with Evan in the Merge Cabin. They can all band together, and we can take out the other two Ka Malu O, but that's only if Lina and Zubin trust both me, and each other."

End Confessional

* * *

Confessional: Katrina

"Oh, don't think I don't know Kevin's motivation behind all of this. He's looking to get rid of me, but considering what just happened, I've proven that I _am_ willing to work with members of other team banners than the Bat. Hopefully these plebeians figure out that my vote is the only vote that matters now, because a world of hurt awaits them if they don't."

End Confessional

* * *

"And that's a wrap on the Final 7!" Chris announced. "We are down to only 6 contestants left! How will Kevin and Katrina fair now that they've jumbled the game up? Will Lina and Zubin ever reconnect? Will a Tiki be played or wasted? And who will be the next one to go, so close to the finish line? Find out all this and more, next time! On..

Total!

Drama!

Nui Kaua!"

* * *

*Julia's Final Confessional:

"Boy, am I _pissed_ about Katrina doing that to me, but honestly, _mad_ props to her for that long-con. I really thought I'd goaded her into voting with me, but it turns out she was just biding her time for the right moment. I guess I have to get a bit better at that side of the game before I go around pretending I'm some mastermind. That said, I'm pretty proud of my placement, and I would absolutely _love_ to come back and play again sometime with other contestants. And you _know_ I have to route for my Ka Malu O homies to make it to the end, even if we do tend to vote each other off all the time. It's been fun everyone!"

End Confessional*

* * *

 _The Votes(for those who are curious)_

 _Evan voted for… Kevin(doesn't count)_

 _Julia voted for… Kevin(doesn't count)_

 _Katrina voted for… Julia_

 _Kevin voted for… Julia_

 _Lina voted for… Katrina(doesn't count)_

 _Pierre voted for… Kevin(doesn't count)_

 _Zubin voted for… Katrina(doesn't count)_


End file.
